Alice Walton's wealth hits $120 billion as she expands tuition-free medical school and health campus
Alice Walton's net worth rose to nearly $120 billion, driven by Walmart shares, while she funds a tuition-free medical school and a $350 million health-care campus in Arkansas.
Alice Walton, the youngest child of Walmart founder Sam Walton, saw her net worth climb to almost $120 billion following a $33 billion surge in the retailer's share price. Though she is not a Walmart executive, she co-manages family holding companies that control billions of Walmart shares. Since 2021 she has invested $250 million in the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine in Bentonville, offering tuition-free education to its first five cohorts, now totaling 96 students.
In September, her foundation pledged $350 million toward a new health campus that will feature a 250-bed hospital and cancer centre, with a cardiac specialty facility slated to open in 2029. Walton’s philanthropic focus blends medicine with the arts, reflecting her long-standing cultural interests. The projects aim to improve healthcare access in rural Arkansas while marking a shift from retail to health-focused philanthropy.
Why it matters
Walton's expanding wealth and health-care philanthropy could reshape medical education and rural health services in the U.S.
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