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What is Alice Walton’s Net Worth?
Alice Walton, the daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton, has an estimated net worth of $73 billion, making her one of the richest women in the world.
Alice Walton’s immense wealth primarily stems from her stake in Walmart, which she inherited through the Walton Family Holdings Trust and Walton Enterprises. She owns approximately a 13% stake in Walmart.
While her primary source of wealth is her inheritance, Alice Walton has also had a notable career in finance. She founded Llama Company, an investment bank, in the late 1980s, although it closed in 1998 after the bond market crash.
Apart from that, she has been involved in various philanthropic efforts and investments, particularly in the arts and education.
Here’s the breakdown of Alice Walton’s net worth:
Name: | Alice Walton |
Net Worth: | $71.7 Billion |
Date of Birth: | Oct 7, 1949 |
Profession: | Businessperson, Investor |
If you’re curious about how we estimate a celebrity’s net worth, you can check out our methodology here.
Walmart Stock
Alice Walton’s net worth is significantly tied to her substantial holdings in Walmart Inc., the global retail giant founded by her father, Sam Walton. As of March 2024, Alice Walton owns over 345,000 units of Walmart Inc. stock, valued at approximately $39.5 billion.
Over the years, she has sold Walmart stock worth over $29.7 billion, contributing to her overall net worth, which is estimated to be at least $69.2 billion.
Her stake in Walmart is primarily held through the Walton Family Holdings Trust and Walton Enterprises, which collectively own a significant portion of the company’s shares. This ownership structure has allowed the Walton family to maintain substantial control over Walmart, despite it being a publicly traded company.
Early Life
Alice Louise Walton was born on October 7, 1949, in Newport, Arkansas, as the only daughter among the four children of Sam Walton and Helen Walton. She grew up in Bentonville, Arkansas, where her father opened the first Walmart store in 1962. Alice attended Bentonville High School and later enrolled at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, where she studied economics and finance, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1971.
Her upbringing in a family deeply involved in the retail business provided her with a unique perspective on commerce and finance from an early age.
Career
Alice Walton’s career has been diverse, spanning finance, investment banking, and philanthropy. After graduating from Trinity University, she briefly worked for Walmart as a buyer of children’s clothes. She then pursued a career in finance, starting as an equity analyst and money manager at First Commerce Corporation.
She also worked as an options trader and broker at E.F. Hutton and later became the vice-chairman and head of investments at Arvest Bank, the Walton family’s bank.
In 1988, Alice founded Llama Company, an investment bank where she served as president, chairwoman, and CEO. The company played a significant role in the development of the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport, providing initial funding and underwriting a substantial bond. However, Llama Company closed in the late 1990s following the bond market crash.
Walton Family
Alice Walton’s immense net worth stems primarily from her inheritance as the daughter of Sam Walton, the founder of Walmart.
The Walton family collectively owns around 50% of Walmart’s shares through various trusts and holding companies. This massive stake in the retail giant, which was founded by Sam Walton in 1962, is the primary source of the family’s wealth.
Alice Walton, along with her brothers Rob and Jim, inherited significant portions of the family’s Walmart shares after their father’s death in 1992. While her brothers have been more actively involved in the company’s operations, Alice has pursued her passion for art and philanthropy.
Art Collection
A significant portion of Alice Walton’s fortune has been dedicated to her love for art and the establishment of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas.
Walton’s art collection is estimated to be worth over $500 million, comprising works by renowned American artists such as Winslow Homer, Edward Hopper, and Georgia O’Keeffe. Some of her notable acquisitions include:
- Asher Brown Durand’s “Kindred Spirits” for $35 million in 2005.
- Norman Rockwell’s “Rosie the Riveter” for $4.9 million in 2009.
- Georgia O’Keeffe’s “Jimson Weed/White Flower No. 1” for $44.4 million in 2014, setting a record for the most expensive work by a female artist at the time.
- Robert Rauschenberg’s “Buffalo II” for a reported $88.8 million in 2019, setting an auction record for the artist.
Walton’s passion for art began at a young age when she purchased a 25-cent print of Picasso’s “Blue Nude” from one of her father’s stores. She founded the Crystal Bridges Museum in 2011 to house her extensive collection and promote accessibility to art for all.
DUI Arrests
Despite her wealth and philanthropic efforts, Alice Walton has had several run-ins with the law due to driving under the influence (DUI) incidents.
In 1998, Walton was arrested for a DUI in Springdale, Arkansas, after colliding with a gas meter while intoxicated. During the arrest, she reportedly asked the officers, “Don’t you know who I am?” and “Don’t you know my last name?”
In 2011, on her 62nd birthday, Walton was arrested and spent a night in jail after being pulled over for speeding and failing a sobriety test. At the time, her net worth was estimated to be around $20 billion, making her the second-richest woman in the world.
Moreover, in 1989, Walton was involved in a fatal car accident in which she struck and killed a 50-year-old pedestrian named Oleta Hardin. Although she was not under the influence during this incident, no charges were filed against her.
Real Estate
While Alice Walton’s primary source of wealth stems from her inheritance of Walmart shares, she has also made significant investments in real estate over the years.
Walton Family Land Holdings
As part of the Walton family’s vast land holdings, Alice Walton owns substantial real estate assets, primarily in the form of undeveloped land. These holdings include:
- Approximately 25,000 acres of land in Texas, valued at over $1 billion
- Thousands of acres of land in Arkansas, including the site where the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art was built
- Residential and commercial properties in various states across the U.S.
The Walton family’s real estate investments are managed through various entities, including Walton Enterprises and the Walton Family Holdings Trust.
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
One of Alice Walton’s most notable real estate investments is the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, which she founded in 2011 in Bentonville, Arkansas. The museum, designed by architect Moshe Safdie, sits on 120 acres of land owned by the Walton family and cost an estimated $1.2 billion to construct and establish.
The museum’s vast complex includes galleries, outdoor spaces, and amenities, all designed to showcase Walton’s extensive collection of American art and provide a world-class cultural destination in her hometown.
Philanthropy
Alice Walton’s philanthropic efforts have been a significant focus throughout her life, with a particular emphasis on increasing access to the arts, improving education, and enhancing health and economic opportunities.
Alice L. Walton Foundation
In 2017, Walton established the Alice L. Walton Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to addressing various societal issues through strategic investments and partnerships. The foundation’s key areas of focus include:
- Arts Access: Initiatives to increase access to the arts, such as the Art Bridges Foundation, which facilitates the sharing of art collections across the country.
- Education: Supporting educational programs and institutions, including the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine at the University of Arkansas.
- Health and Wellness: Promoting holistic health and wellness through initiatives like the Heartland Whole Health Institute.
- Economic Opportunity: Efforts to create economic opportunities and support entrepreneurship, particularly in underserved communities.
As of 2023, the Alice L. Walton Foundation had impacted over 22 million individuals through its funding and partnerships.
Art Bridges Foundation
In addition to the Alice L. Walton Foundation, Walton founded the Art Bridges Foundation in 2017 with the goal of increasing access to American art across the country. The foundation has facilitated the sharing of art collections through partnerships with museums, providing funding for exhibitions, loans, and educational programs.
One of the foundation’s recent initiatives, “Access for All,” pledged $40 million in grants to over 60 museums across the U.S. to support free admission programs and expand accessibility.
Ashley Roberts is the founder of Real-Time Billionaires List. She founded this platform because she likes to know how much celebrities are actually making. She is always curious why these people can make much more money than the ordinary person.
With a Bachelor’s degree in finance, she is skilled at financial analysis and understands numbers related to wealth. Most of the articles on this site are edited by herself before publishing.
