Walmart’s Heirs Earn $11.6B in One Morning — and Their Net Worth Is Just as Jaw-Dropping

Walmart‘s heirs, already worth billions, increased their wealth by $11.6 billion in a blockbuster morning on Thursday. After announcing its Q2 earnings crushed Wall Street expectations, the company’s stock priced surged 11 percent.

By 9:45 a.m. yesterday, the Walton family upped its net worth to a total of $163.2 billion.

Jim Walton, left, Alice Walton, center, and Rob Walton, right, children of Walmart Inc. founder Sam Walton, attend a Walmart shareholders' meeting in Fayetteville, Ark. Since 2006, philanthropists and their private foundations and charities have given almost half a billion dollars to charter school groups, according to an Associated Press analysis of tax filings and Foundation Center data, with the Walton Family Foundation being the largest donorCharter Schools Billionaire Donors, Fayetteville, USA - 01 Jun 2012
(L-R): Jim Walton, Alice Walton and Rob Walton, children of Walmart founder Sam Walton.
CREDIT: April L Brown/Shutterstock

Founder Sam Walton’s heirs own around half of the retailer through Walton Family Holdings Trust and a holding company, Walton Enterprises, according to Bloomberg. Those who receive first dibs on the wealth are sons Jim and Rob, and daughter Alice, as well as Sam’s late son John’s widow, Christy Walton, along with Lucas, his grandson from the marriage. Nancy Walton Laurie, the daughter of Sam’s brother and business partner Bud, also receives earnings.

According to the National Retail Federation, Walmart ranked in the No. 1 spot of the nation’s leading merchants based on sales, from which the retailer made nearly $375 billion last year.

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As part of its growth strategy, the Bentonville, Ark.-based retailer has strategized to challenge its competitors, including Amazon, by acquiring digital businesses such as Jet.com and ShoeBuy, ModCloth and Moosejaw.

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