The world's richest family are worth an eye-watering $470 billion and own some of the biggest sporting teams in the world.
While Elon Musk might be the richest individual on Earth, his kids aren’t exactly running football clubs.
But when it comes to raw, generational wealth, no one’s touching the Walton dynasty, heirs to the Walmart empire, especially when you factor in their connection to the Kroenke sports juggernaut through marriage.
If you combine the massive fortunes of the Walton family, an eye-watering $449.8 billion, and sports tycoon Stan Kroenke's $21.3 billion fortune, who married into the clan, you’re looking at a colossal $470.1 billion power union.
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That’s more money than the GDP of most countries - literally.
The story of where the Waltons' fortune comes from is one that every American will be familiar with.
In 1962, brothers Sam and Bud Walton opened the first Walmart store in Arkansas with the aim of offering unbeatable prices at their discount store.
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Fast forward to today, Walmart is a global retail beast with over 10,000 stores and a market influence that’s practically unmatched.
Despite their obscene wealth, the Waltons are notoriously low-key. They don’t flaunt it like some billionaires, but the moves they make speak volumes, especially in the world of sport.
In 2022, the family bought the NFL's Denver Broncos for a record-breaking $4.7 billion, with Greg Penner - Sam Walton’s grandson-in-law - now leading the charge as the team’s CEO.
But that is just the tip of the iceberg, with Kroenke marrying into the clan through Ann Walton. Of course, Kroenke has ties to a sporting empire that includes soccer Premier League giants Arsenal, the NFL’s LA Rams, the NBA’s Denver Nuggets, and the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche, and Colorado Avalanche, with the latter held in Ann's name.
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Kroenke also owns NLL's (National Lacrosse League) Colorado Mammoth.
The net worth of the Waltons on Forbes is as follows: Rob Walton & Family, $123.8 billion; Jim Walton & Family, $121.2 billion; Alice Walton, $112.5 billion; Lukas Walton, $41.8 billion; Christy Walton, $20.7 billion; Nancy Walton Laurie, $16.6 billion; Ann Walton Kroenke, $13.2 billion; Stanley Kroenke, $21.3 billion.
Yes, that's an incredible eight people in the family making it onto Forbes' real time billionaire list - with their offspring also notably being worth millions themselves too.
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While the Waltons made their name through Walmart, they're certainly diversifying their wealth these days.
Joe Yates