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S. Robson Walton
Photo: Walmart Corporate, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons19

S. Robson Walton

American businessman (born 1944)

Samuel Robson Walton (born October 27, 1944) is an American billionaire heir to the fortune of Walmart, the world's largest retailer. He is the eldest son of Helen Walton and Sam Walton, and was chairman of Walmart from 1992 to 2015.2

From Wikipedia’s article on S. Robson Walton (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Born Oct 27, 1944.1

Net worth $44.3B (as of 2019, per The World's Billionaires).20 Richest people

About

As of February 2026, Forbes estimated his net worth to be US$145.1 billion, making him the 11th richest person in the world. He is also the principal owner of the Denver Broncos.

From Wikipedia’s article on S. Robson Walton, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.2

Companies

Holdings

Stock this person has reported owning, from the forms officers and directors file with the SEC. See the biggest insider stakes.

Shares held

  • Walmart WMT7,029,557 shares13$826.9M at $117.62Dec 19, 2024

As of each latest filing. The line shows shares held over time.

Recent filings

  • Dec 18, 2024Other 603,989,702 shares of Walmart13
  • Dec 18, 2024Other 3,002,673,393 shares of Walmart13
  • Sep 19, 2024Sold 111,833 shares at $78.62 of Walmart14
  • Sep 19, 2024Sold 247,783 shares at $78.08 of Walmart14
  • Sep 18, 2024Other 1,630,000 shares of Walmart14
  • Sep 17, 2024Sold 739,679 shares at $79.83 of Walmart14
  • Sep 17, 2024Sold 1,064,321 shares at $78.73 of Walmart14
  • Sep 17, 2024Other 993,000 shares of Walmart14
  • Sep 13, 2024Other 2,067,000 shares of Walmart15
  • Sep 12, 2024Sold 2,922 shares at $79.87 of Walmart15
  • Sep 12, 2024Sold 931,078 shares at $79.46 of Walmart15
  • Sep 11, 2024Gift 1,584,000 shares of Walmart15
  • Sep 11, 2024Other 211,000 shares of Walmart15
  • Sep 9, 2024Sold 4,057,369 shares at $77.20 of Walmart16
  • Sep 9, 2024Other 1,584,000 shares of Walmart16
  • Sep 9, 2024Other 1,912,000 shares of Walmart16
  • Sep 6, 2024Sold 1,386 shares at $77.31 of Walmart16
  • Sep 6, 2024Sold 1,687,471 shares at $76.70 of Walmart16
  • Sep 5, 2024Sold 8,617 shares at $77.42 of Walmart17
  • Sep 5, 2024Sold 2,366,946 shares at $76.96 of Walmart17
  • Sep 4, 2024Sold 4,078,041 shares at $77.17 of Walmart17
  • Sep 4, 2024Other 4,401,000 shares of Walmart17
  • Sep 3, 2024Sold 894 shares at $77.80 of Walmart17
  • Sep 3, 2024Sold 2,708,269 shares at $77.37 of Walmart17
  • Jun 25, 2024Other 308,000 shares of Walmart18

Early life and education

  • Date not recordedColumbia Law School3
  • Date not recordedUniversity of Arkansas3

Rob Walton was born on October 27, 1944, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the oldest of four children of Sam Walton (1918–1992), cofounder of Walmart, and Helen Walton (1919–2007). He has a younger brother, Jim Walton, and a younger sister, Alice Walton. Another brother, John Walton, died in 2005.

Walton attended The College of Wooster and graduated from the University of Arkansas in 1966 with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration, where he was a member of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. He received his juris doctor degree from Columbia Law School in 1969. Walton is also a trustee at The College of Wooster.

After graduation, Walton became a member of the law firm Conner & Winters in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which represented Walmart. In 1978, he left Tulsa to join Walmart as a senior vice president, and in 1982, he was appointed vice chairman. He was named chairman of the board of directors on April 7, 1992, two days after his father's death.

Along with his siblings, he has pledged about $2 billion to the Walton Family Foundation from 2008 to 2013.

On June 7, 2022, an ownership group led by Walton entered into an agreement to purchase the Denver Broncos from the estate of Pat Bowlen for $4.65 billion, which set the record for the most expensive sale of a sports franchise in history, subject to approval from the NFL's finance committee and a 3/4 majority of the full NFL ownership group. Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was announced as added to the ownership group on July 11, 2022. The family then announced on August 2, 2022, that Lewis Hamilton would be added to the ownership group. Walton delegated most day-to-day authority to his son-in-law and successor as Walmart chairman, Greg Penner, who took over as CEO of the franchise and the public face of the ownership group.

From Wikipedia’s article on S. Robson Walton (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Career

Occupation: businessperson, lawyer.6

Personal life

  • BornOct 27, 1944, Tulsa7
  • CitizenshipUnited States8
  • ResidenceBentonville9
  • SpouseMelani Lowman-Walton married 200510

By the time he left Tulsa in 1978, Walton had three children, was divorced from his first wife, and had remarried to Carolyn Funk. He and Carolyn filed for divorce in 2000. He married his third wife Melani Lowman-Walton in 2005. His children include Carrie Walton Penner.

Walton is a well-known collector of automobiles.

From Wikipedia’s article on S. Robson Walton (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Politics

Walton spent over $17.6 million in support of Republican candidates in the 2024 United States elections. As of August 2026, Walton spent $11 million in support of Republican candidates in the 2026 United States elections.

From Wikipedia’s article on S. Robson Walton (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

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    Wikidata and SEC EDGARWalmart, Board member
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    Wikidata and SEC EDGARWalmart, Chair
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    WikidataNet worth