Historical Figure
Sam Walton
1918–1992
American business magnate (1918–1992)
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Biography
Samuel Moore Walton was an American business magnate best known for co-founding the retailers Walmart and Sam's Club, which he started in Rogers, Arkansas, and Midwest City, Oklahoma, in 1962 and 1983 respectively. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. grew to be the world's largest corporation by revenue as well as the biggest private employer in the world. For a period of time, Walton was the richest person in the United States. His family has remained the richest family in the U.S. for several consecutive years, with a net worth of around $440.62 billion US as of January 2026. In 1992 at the age of 74, Walton died of blood cancer and was buried at the Bentonville Cemetery in his longtime home of Bentonville, Arkansas.
Timeline
The story of Sam Walton, told in moments.
Opened a Ben Franklin franchise store in Newport, Arkansas, with a $20,000 loan from his father-in-law. Built it into the top-performing franchise in the six-state region. Then lost it all when his landlord refused to renew the lease and gave the store to his own son.
Opened the first Walmart in Rogers, Arkansas. His concept: put discount stores in small towns that larger retailers ignored. He was 44 years old and had been in retail for 17 years.
Forbes named him the richest person in America. He still drove his old pickup truck and got his hair cut at the local barbershop. Walmart had grown to 882 stores with $8.4 billion in revenue.
Died of blood cancer in Little Rock at 74. Walmart was the world's largest retailer. His family's combined wealth is now over $400 billion. He's buried in Bentonville, Arkansas.
In Their Own Words (1)
Artifacts (15)
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