Art, Adventures and the Tale of Alice Walton’s Net Worth

Once upon a time in Walmartville, there was a billionaire heiress named Alice Walton. That’s right! You guessed correctly, the only daughter of the retail giant’s founder, the famous Sam Walton. 

Alice’s story is a unique one and isn’t our average tale of Walmart riches that we are used to. So, hold on to your shopping cart as we take a deep dive as to what it means to be a billionaire heiress.

Alice Walton’s Early Life

Alice Walton was born on the 7th of October 1949 to Walmart founder and business magnate, Sam Walton in Newport Arkansas.

She attended Bentoville HS and graduated in 1996. She also graduated with a Bachelor’s in economics and finance from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas.

Alice Walton’s Career

While her siblings, Rob and Jim, were busy being involved in the family business, Alice took another road down the art aisle. 

Though she worked for a very short time in the family business buying children’s clothing, instead of being a huge part of the Walmart dream and joining the retail hustle in the long run, she decided to curate an art collection that would make even the most seasoned art critics be in awe.

In 2011, Alice unveiled her masterpiece “the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art” in Bentonville, Arkansas. This is a place where art dreams come true and enthusiasts find solace. The museum has art works by some of the finest artists in the world like Warhol, Rockwell, and Rothko. 

Surprisingly, the museum which habours so many priceless artworks admits people for free thanks to a generous $20 million donation by Walmart Foundation.

The establishment of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art became a game changer for Arkansas. She stepped down as the CEO of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in 2021 but is still a member of the board.

Alice worked for a couple of companies as an equity analyst, money manager and broker. She founded a company called Llama (a securities firm) in 1988 that would later shutdown in the early 1990s where she was CEO, chairman and president.

She also chaired and played a major role on the Northwest Arkansas Council. Her major contribution in the council was the development of the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport. 

Because of her major contributions, the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport Authority named a terminal after her.

Alice Walton’s Net Worth

I’m sure you’re probably wondering about Alice Walton’s wealth. Well, Alice Walton’s net worth is a huge $58.6 billion which makes her part of the richest people globally and in the top 5 of the richest women in the world. 

Her wealth comes mostly from her Walmart inheritance.

Alice Walton Personal Life

Alice’s journey hasn’t always been a walk in the park, she has also had her own share of challenges. There was a car crash in Mexico and she even faced the tune legally for a “driving under the influence” incident. 

Details about Alice Walton’s personal life aren’t known. All there is to it is that she was once married to 2 men. The first was an investment banker whom she married at the age of 24 in 1974 and divorced 2 years later. 

Her second marriage to a contractor was very short lived according to reports. Details about whether or not she had any children in these marriages aren’t available.

Alice Walton’s Spending Habits

Regardless of being one of the richest women on the planet, she is said to live a modest life. Alice Walton lives in Texas on a 3200 acre ranch. Earlier on in her life, Alice Walton bought a farm where she raised horses. It is stated that Alice Walton has a keen eye for horses that would become great cutters.

In 2015, Alice Walton put up her farm for sale and relocated to Fort Worth, Texas. The 74 year old also owns a condo at Park’s Avenue in New York which she purchased in 2014 worth $25 million.

Alice Walton’s Charity 

Alice Walton is also big on giving back to society. She is a board member of the Walmart Foundation. Some of her humanitarian works include the free entry to the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, the 2016 donation of the huge sum of $225 million to the Walton Foundation.

Apart from the foundation run by the family, Alice Walton also founded her own called the Alice L. Walton Foundation. The foundation was founded in 2017 and is dedicated to improving education, enhancing health, giving access to art and so on. 

Alice Waltons’ Awards and Achievements 

Apart from collecting art, Alice Walton also collected some awards as well. She has been inducted into The Arkansas Women’s Hall of Fame, the Arkansas Aviation Hall of Fame and has a Getty Medal for her talented patronage in art.

Alice Walton’s Career Highlights

Here are some highlights of Alice Walton’s career:

• Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art (2011)
• Llama Company (1988) 
• Northwest Arkansas Council (1998)

Favorite Quotes from Alice Walton 

• “I think it is more of an intuitive, circular kind of personality, for starters. And, as I say of horses, the secret to breeding great horses is the three B’s: bones, brains, and balance. If you look at art, it shares some of the same qualities.” – Alice Walton 

• “One of the great responsibilities that I have in this life is to manage my assets wisely so that they create value.” – Alice Walton 

• “There is a lot that horses and art have in common. I have found out that most people who love horses are also art lovers and vice versa.” – Alice Walton 

• “One of the things we’re really interested in Contemporary art today, is how fine art has finally evolved to include everything. There’s amazing folk art, crafts, glass and much more being made all across the country. The key challenges for museums today is to give context to the radical change in how we define art. Witness, for instance, the incredible rise of ceramics in the Contemporary art world over the last five years.” – Alice Walton 

• “Beyond what we show in the Ozarks there’s a real need for traveling exhibitions that go to regional museums. We’ve only begun to partner and share our works and exhibitions after three and three-quarter years.” – Alice Walton 

3 Lessons from Alice Walton

Since we have explored the life of Alice Walton, here are some lesions we can learn from her.

1. Never Give Up

Failure is part of life but the most important thing is to never give in. In order to achieve something great, we all must encounter different hurdles.

2. Never Doubt Yourself

One thing that can bring people down is doubt. Never give into uncertainty and always be confident.

3. Have Courage

Though we tend to make mistakes seeing that we are human, never let the mistake take the best of you. Say no to defeat and forge ahead.

Summary 

As of March 2024, Alice Walton net worth is around $60 billion. She is a Walmart billionaire heiress and art curator. Alice Walton is also one of the richest women in the United States of America and the world.

What are your thoughts on Alice Walton’s net worth? Feel free to share your comments below.