Meet world’s richest woman, heiress to world’s top retail store firm with net worth of Rs…; founded one of most prominent...

The Hurun Global Rich List 2025 which was released on March 27 had named Alice Walton as the world’s richest woman whose net worth is USD 102 billion (Rs 8,720,042,118). She made it to the list because of a surge of 46% in her fortune in the past year which is due to an increase in Walmart’s stock price. The increase in her wealth also included her in the Hurun’s list of top 10 gainers of wealth in 2025.  

Who is Alice Walton? 

Alice Walton, 75, is the daughter and heiress of Walmart’ founder Sam Walton who was born on October 7, 1949, in Newport, Arkansas. Her family then shifted to Bentonville, Arkansas in the 60s where she grew up and where her father first launched Walmart, a US based multinational retail corporation which has a chain of hypermarkets, department stores, and grocery stores around the world. 

Education 

Walton went to attend Bentonville High School and studied a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Finance from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. 

What does Alice Walton do? 

Apart from her health, what makes her the most influential person in the world is her passion for art and philanthropy, to which she has contributed the most. She commands a reputation for being heavily involved in philanthropic and artistic ventures. Though her family solely earns from wealth coming from financial ventures of Walmart, which has topped the world’s retail market and has more than 11,000 stores globally. 

However, Alice is not an active contributor to the company’s wealth. She has solely invested herself in art, philanthropy, and finance which shaped her personal and professional lives. She has built a legacy in these fields. Her love for art, and American art in particular, has inspired her to invest her massive wealth in one of the most influential private collections of American art, the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, which she founded in 2011 and is situated in Bentonville, Arkansas. It houses collections which are embodiments of American history, culture, and creativity. From colonial-era portraits to contemporary masterpieces, it showcases a rich legacy of American art and history featuring works of iconic artists like Andy Warhol, Norman Rockwell, and Georgia O'Keeffe. 

Besides art, Alice Walton has made her name in the field of education and healthcare as well. Her million-dollar contributions to various health and education causes have strengthened her legacy as a philanthropist. She has contributed to advancing research in integrative medicine, which has both traditional and alternative medical practices. Through the Walton Family Foundation, she opened the Whole Health Institute in Bentonville, Arkansas in 2017. It is a nonprofit organization that is a unique initiative in the healthcare field which focuses on whole healthcare.  

Personal life 

Alice Walton keeps her private life away from everyone’s eyes and has not married as she prefers to keep her own interests and passion active and alive. Her wealth comes from the Walmart fortune in which she owns 3.674 billion shares as of April 2024.