Who Owns Walmart
Share
Lost your password? Please enter your email address. You will receive a link and will create a new password via email.
Please briefly explain why you feel this question should be reported.
Please briefly explain why you feel this answer should be reported.
Please briefly explain why you feel this user should be reported.
Walmart is one of the world’s largest retailers, with operations in a multitude of countries around the world and over 11,000 stores in 27 countries. Despite its immense size and scope, Walmart is owned by a single family: the Waltons, through their holding company, Walton Enterprises.
Alice and Sam Walton founded Walmart in 1962 in Rogers, Arkansas. Sam Walton opened the first store and, over the years, grew the company into an international powerhouse. At the time of Sam’s death in 1992, Walmart was a Fortune 500 company with sales in excess of $30 billion.
The Waltons constitute one of the wealthiest families in the world. In 2018, the Walton family was listed as number one on the Bloomberg Billionaires index, with a combined net worth of $191.5 billion. The family’s fortune is almost entirely made up of the stock they own in Walmart. As of February 2020, the Walton family controls around 51 percent of the company, making them by far Walmart’s largest shareholders.
The Waltons hold their shares through Walton Enterprises, a limited liability company (LLC). Their LLC serves two purposes: it holds the family’s shares, and it manages the family’s investments and philanthropy. Two of the remaining Walton family members sit on Walmart’s board of directors, and the family continues to influence the company’s decisions.
The Walton family may not own Walmart outright, but their control of the company is undisputed. Although other companies, such as Berkshire Hathaway and State Street, own large portions of the company’s stock, the Walton family controlsWalmart’s fate. Walmart will remain in the family’s hands for the foreseeable future.