Worldwide wealth

Fort Worth billionaire Alice Walton has world's richest family in 2024

Rob Walton, Alice Walton, Jim Walton, Walton family, Walmart heirs, billionaires, world's richest

Siblings and Walmart heirs Rob, Alice, and Jim Walton belong to the world's richest family.

Photo by Rick T. Wilking/Getty Images

Fort Worth billionaire Alice Walton and her kin are back on top as the world's richest family, according to Bloomberg's 2024 list of the wealthiest families on the planet.

To reclaim their crown, the Waltons toppled actual royalty: the Al Nahyans, Abu Dhabi's ruling family, who came in first last year and fell to second in 2024. Qatar's ruling dynasty, the Al Thanis, came in third.

Alice Walton and her brothers, Jim and Rob, are descendants of Sam Walton, founder of Walmart. According to Bloomberg, their family fortune has swelled by 66 percent since last year, to a record $432 billion.

"That wealth figure exceeds the market value of some of America's biggest companies including Home Depot ($412 billion), Procter & Gamble ($402 billion), and Netflix ($396 billion)," notes Business Insider.

Each of the Walton siblings has increased his or her wealth by $43 billion this year, the publication says.

"The Walton family's wealth bump has been fueled by a roughly 80 percent surge in the retailer's stock price this year," Business Insider says. "Sam Walton gave each of his four children a 20 percent stake in the family enterprise early on, and his three surviving kids each own upward of 11 percent of Walmart — now a company valued north of $750 billion — through a family trust. They've also raked in more than $15 billion from stock sales and dividends over the years, Bloomberg says."

Fort Worth's Alice Walton is primarily and arts philanthropist now. Photo by D Dipasupil/Getty Images

In September, Alice Walton took back the title of world's wealthiest woman, according toForbes. Walton beat out L’Oreal heiress Francoise Bettencourt Meyers of France to become the richest woman on the globe for the first time since 2022.

Walton’s estimated fortune at the time was $89.1 billion and Meyers’ was $88.4 billion, Forbes said.

While she devotes most of her time and energy now to her Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art (from which she retired as chairman in 2021) and the new Alice L. Walton School of Medicine - both in her native Bentonville, Arkansas - her official residence is still listed as Fort Worth. She has owned homes and ranches in the Fort Worth area and sits on the board of the Amon Carter Museum of American Art.

The top five richest families in the world and their fortunes, according to Bloomberg, are:

1. The Waltons (Walmart heirs), $432 billion
2. The Al Nahyans, (Abu Dhabi/United Arab Emirates royalty): $324 billion
3. The Al Thanis (Qatar royalty): $173 billion
4. The Hermeses (French fashion and luxury goods): $171 billion
5. The Kochs (American oil industrialists): $149 billion

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Fun in the Fort

Fort Worth wrangles spot on new list of most fun cities in U.S.

Photo courtesy of Fort Worth Stock Show

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Fort Worth knows how to have a good time. So says a WalletHub's new report on the most fun cities in America in 2024, which ranked Fort Worth No. 55 out of 182 U.S. cities.

WalletHub's experts compared each city using 65 metrics to determine their level of "fun." Metrics were split among three main categories: entertainment and recreation, nightlife and parties, and cost.

According to the study's findings, Fort Worth was 35th nationally in the category for nightlife and parties, but ranked No. 81 in the "entertainment and recreation" category. But many Fort Worth locals know the city is full of entertainment opportunities, family-friendly activities (especially during the holidays), top dining destinations, and more. Plus, it's home to the annual Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo - which locals affectionately call "rodeo season."

Fort Worth performed poorly in the overall cost category, earning No. 74 nationwide. However, this category mostly compares flat costs rather than affordability based on local cost of living.

Potential new Fort Worth residents should do their research before deciding to move here, rather than basing their decision on short trips and vacations alone.

"The top cities offer affordable options for year-round fun for their residents, which is good for residents’ wallets and their mental health," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo in the report.

Austin (No. 6) and Houston (No. 9) were the only Texas cities to earn a spot in the top 10 most fun U.S. cities list. Austin moved up one spot from last year, while Houston made a 10-place jump.

Fort Worth's next-door neighbor Arlington, home to one of the area's hidden-gem art museums, came in at No. 79 on the list.

Other fun-filled Texas cities that made it in the top 100 are Dallas, (No. 31), El Paso (No. 53), Plano (No. 78), Arlington (No. 79), and Corpus Christi (No. 99).

The top 10 most fun U.S. cities are:

No. 1 – Las Vegas, Nevada
No. 2 – Orlando, Florida
No. 3 – Miami, Florida
No. 4 – Atlanta, Georgia
No. 5 – New Orleans, Louisiana
No. 6 – Austin, Texas
No. 7 – San Francisco, California
No. 8 – Chicago, Illinois
No. 9 – Houston, Texas
No. 10 – New York City, New York

Cities were evaluated based on the number of attractions per capita, nightlife activities per capita, the average prices for eating at a restaurant or buying a movie ticket, and more. Data was sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau, The Trust for Public Land, and the Council for Community and Economic Research, among others.

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