Alice Walton, the only female heiress to the Walmart fortune, has become a name synonymous with immense wealth. At 67 years old and worth an estimated $38.4 billion dollars, she is America’s wealthiest woman. Her status as the richest woman in the world was briefly usurped following the death of Liliane Bettencourt, French heiress of cosmetics giant L’Oreal, who passed away earlier this year in 2017. Bettencourt’s daughter Françoise Bettencourt-Meyers inherited her mother’s fortune, returning her to the title of second-richest woman — and 19th richest person — in the world according to Bloomberg.
Walton’s fortune derives primarily from Walmart shares—the family business founded by her father Sam Walton that today trades on the New York Stock Exchange. Her investment portfolio includes luxury real estate deals, large art investments and sizable stakes in large companies like Dell Technologies Inc., eBay Inc., and Apple Inc., among others. Much of her money is also invested into charity such as The Walton Family Foundation: a non-profit organization supporting education and environment projects that has received more than $2.8 billion since 1987.
Where Does Alice Walton Live?
Alice Walton is considered one of the most successful women in the world, with an estimated net worth of $63.6 billion and ranking as the wealthiest woman in 2021 according to Forbes Magazine. Despite her remarkable wealth, Alice has humbly opted for a more restrained lifestyle in comparison to other billionaire heirs. Alice rarely splurges on luxuries such as cars or expensive houses, and it is highly uncommon to see her driving a car that she owns.
When it comes to her residence, Alice’s approach is pragmatic. She travels often and switches between several homes both in the United States and abroad that provide all of the necessary amenities she requires. By spending minimal time at each location, this allows her to fulfill her philanthropic endeavors while keeping track of her multiple business interests across various regions around the globe. Thus, Alice Walton lives wherever she needs to for either personal or professional commitments at any particular moment.
Alice Walton, the only daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton, has reclaimed her title of world’s richest woman on Forbes’ 2020 list of the world’s billionaires.
Alice Walton is the only daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton, and she has reclaimed her title as the world’s richest woman on Forbes’ 2020 list of billionaires. Her net worth currently stands at an impressive $54 billion, due to a 23% increase since last year. This has enabled her to bump L’Oréal heiress Francoise Bettencourt Meyers from the top spot.
Walton inherited her father’s fortune, but that doesn’t mean she hasn’t contributed to its success. Since receiving a degree in economics from Trinity University in San Antonio and getting an MBA from Columbia University, she has served on the Walmart Board of Directors since 2013 and has pushed for initiatives like eliminating plastic bags from stores. Additionally, Walton is a respected art collector with some noteworthy works in her collection including pieces by Pablo Picasso and Claude Monet. Beyond this, she has also founded the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas which houses over 30 works by Norman Rockwell along with other important pieces.
Unlike her brothers, Rob and Jim, Alice Walton has never taken an active role running Walmart and has instead become a patron of the arts.
Alice Walton has long been an advocate for the arts. Even at a young age, she was captivated by it and bought her first piece of art – a reproduction of a Picasso painting – for $2 when she was ten. This passion only increased upon her graduation from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas in 1971. She briefly entered into the family business at Walmart as a buyer of children’s clothes but moved quickly into finance which led to the founding of Llama Company, an investment bank, in 1988.
Living now in Fort Worth, Texas, Walton is well known within the fine arts community. As one of American’s wealthiest people, she has become a patron to many renowned artists and art organizations such as Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art; an institution which she founded herself and donated millions towards its completion. With this commitment to the arts comes an unmistakable impact that Alice Walton has made on more than just the art world alone – her dedication to organizations with charitable missions helps create sustainable progress through important initiatives across the nation.
Walton has an immense private art collection, with original works from legendary American artists including Andy Warhol, Norman Rockwell, and Georgia O’Keefe.
Lou Walton is known for his personal art collection, with original works from some of America’s hugely renowned artists. The collection features Andy Warhol, Norman Rockwell, and Georgia O’Keefe – three influential figures in the art world who have made an everlasting impact on American and international culture alike.
Walton has also commented on his deep appreciation for the art he has accumulated over the years. Through collecting these exquisite pieces, Walton has found great joy and fulfillment in developing a deep-rooted connection to each individual work of art. He told The New Yorker: “Collecting has been such a joy, and such an important part of my life in terms of seeing art, and loving it”. Walton’s valuable contribution to cultural preservation through collecting is remarkable, given the unseen treasures that inhabit his private art collection. His dedication to appreciating the beauty in artwork is unmistakable.
In 2011, she opened a $50 million museum called Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, to house her $500 million private art collection.
In 2011, Alice Walton made waves in the art world when she opened her Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas. The museum was five years and $50 million in construction efforts realized, created to house Walton’s remarkable private art collection worth an estimated $500 million. This impressive endeavor had a four times the endowment of the established Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, making it one of the most celebrated museum openings ever.
Featuring traditional and contemporary masterpieces from all genres, the Crystal Bridges Museum of America Art has since become a must-see destination for art enthusiasts across the world. From its world-class galleries to acclaimed interactive exhibits, Alice Walton’s visionary effort has aspired to make art accessible to everyone within reach of its walls – seeking not just to entertain but also educate and inspire with their vast collection from prized 18th century portraits to modern masterpieces by some of today’s most exciting artists. With its beautiful outdoor grounds serving as a gateway for those with less formal artistic interests, visiting the museum is truly a unique experience that can be enjoyed by adults and children alike.
In 2014, the Walmart heiress dropped $44.4 million on a piece of artwork by Georgia O’Keefe.
The Walmart heiress, Alice Walton, made headlines in 2014 with her purchase of a piece of artwork by Georgia O’Keefe for the staggering sum of $44.4 million. The purchase set a new record for the most expensive artwork ever sold by a female artist and was photographed in public for the first time at a Christie’s auction house in New York. The painting depicts one of O’Keeffe’s iconic paintings of an arid Texas landscape with dramatic swirls of red and ochre.
Walton chose to put her new masterpiece on display at her own Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Arkansas, which opened its doors to the public in 2011. The rare artwork helps contribute to the museum’s impressive lineup of 19th, 20th and 21st century American art and continues the tradition of displaying powerful expressions from noted American artists. Walton’s commitment to this art form is reflected both in her outstanding collection as well as her passion for collecting classic works that attract people to appreciate them in situ.
Walton has donated millions to the arts and other causes.
Alice Walton, the youngest child of Walmart’s founders Sam and Helen Walton, has given incredible support to charitable causes in her lifetime. In January 2016, she donated 3.7 million of her own Walmart shares — worth approximately $225 million — to the Walton Family Foundation. This donation boosted the foundation’s ability to provide educational scholarships, advance medical research and promote programs benefiting underserved communities among many other amazing initiatives.
The University of Arkansas was one such beneficiary of the family foundation when they gifted $120 million towards establishing a School of Art within the university. Additionally, Alice L. Walton runs her own philanthropic organization, The Alice L. Walton Foundation which donates to causes including arts and education projects as well as health advocacy organizations. These donations have enabled some incredible changes in our communities by providing services that may not have been available otherwise. All in all, Walton’s contributions have been unprecedented and extremely generous!
Although the Walton family has traditionally supported Republican candidates, Walton donated $353,400 to the Hillary Victory Fund, a joint fundraising committee supporting Clinton and other Democrats, in 2016, according to Forbes.
Alice Walton, the only daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton, has traditionally supported Republican candidates but bucked that trend in 2016 when she donated to the Hillary Victory Fund joint fundraising campaign supporting Clinton and other Democrats. This donation was notable since the Walton family overall has become more politically diverse in recent years, including many different forms of donations across both parties.
Alice’s personally donated $353,400 to the Victory Fund and her family as a whole has been donating to Democratic causes such as Progress for America (George W. Bush’s re-election committee), Open Secrets which gives money to campaigns in Texas, South Carolina, Rhode Island, Oregon and Montana. This is an interesting shift since Alice met Clinton while the latter served as First Lady of Arkansas and was Walmart’s only female board member at the time. While no further announcements regarding political donations have been made by Alice or her family yet they certainly haven’t done away with their interest of engaging with politics at large – even if it means giving money to both Democrats and Republicans.