S. Robson "Rob" Walton | |
|---|---|
 Walton in 2017 | |
| Born | (1944-10-27)October 27, 1944 (age 81)[1] Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Education | University of Arkansas (BS) Columbia University (JD) |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Known for | Walton family fortune |
| Title | Former chairman ofWalmart (1992–2015) |
| Board member of | Walmart,Denver Broncos |
| Spouses |
|
| Children | 3, includingCarrie |
| Parents |
|
| Relatives | John T. Walton (brother) Jim Walton (brother) Alice Walton (sister) Kelly Rohrbach (niece-in-law) |
Samuel Robson "Rob" Walton (born October 27, 1944) is an American billionaire heir to the fortune ofWalmart, the world's largest retailer. He is the eldest son ofHelen Walton andSam Walton, and was chairman of Walmart from 1992 to 2015. As of May 2025,Forbes estimated his net worth to be US$115.3 billion, making him the 13th richest person in the world.[2] He is also the principal owner of theDenver Broncos.[3][4]
Rob Walton was born on October 27, 1944,[1] inTulsa, Oklahoma, the oldest of four children ofSam Walton (1918–1992), cofounder ofWalmart, andHelen Walton (1919–2007). He has a younger brother,Jim Walton, and a younger sister,Alice Walton. Another brother,John Walton, died in 2005.[5][6][7]
Walton attendedThe College of Wooster and graduated from theUniversity of Arkansas in 1966 with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration, where he was a member of theLambda Chi Alpha fraternity. He received hisjuris doctor degree fromColumbia Law School in 1969. Walton is also a trustee at The College of Wooster.[8][7]
After graduation, Walton became a member of the law firm Conner & Winters in Tulsa, Oklahoma[8], which represented Walmart. In 1978, he left Tulsa to join Walmart as a senior vice president,[8] and in 1982, he was appointed vice chairman.[9] He was named chairman of the board of directors on April 7, 1992, two days after his father's death.[10]
Along with his siblings, he has pledged about $2 billion to theWalton Family Foundation from 2008 to 2013.[6]
On June 7, 2022, an ownership group led by Walton entered into an agreement to purchase theDenver Broncos from the estate ofPat 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.[11][12] Former Secretary of StateCondoleezza Rice was announced as added to the ownership group on July 11, 2022.[13] The family then announced on August 2, 2022, thatLewis Hamilton would be added to the ownership group.[14] Walton delegated most day-to-day authority to his son-in-law, Walmart chairmanGreg Penner, who took over as CEO of the franchise and the public face of the ownership group.[15]
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.[9][16][17] His children includeCarrie Walton Penner.
Walton is a well-known collector of automobiles.[18]
| Walton family |
| .svg){kind=logo} | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chairmen | ||||||||
| President/CEO | ||||||||
| Former execs | ||||||||
| Current assets |
| |||||||
| Brands | ||||||||
| Former assets | ||||||||
| Related |
| |||||||