Previous
The 100 richest people in the world gained $241 billion in net worth last year, according to Bloomberg's Billionaires Index. Americans dominated the list, occupying five of the top 10 spots. This countdown of the top 10 wealthiest Americans features a casino mogul, software tycoons, and a lot of Wal-Mart money.
This 2011 file photo shows the entrance to the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Ark. The museum is owned by Wal-Mart heiress Alice Walton. (April L. Brown/AP/File)
9. Alice Walton
Net Worth: $26.1 billion
Wealth source: Wal-Mart
Residence: Fort Worth, Texas
World Ranking: 16th
Ms. Walton is the youngest daughter of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. founder Sam Walton and the first of four Walton family heirs on the list. She owns approximately 349 million shares of the retailer through Walton Enterprises, the family’s holding company. She’s widely known for her huge private collection of American art, displayed at the Crystal Bridges museum in Bentonville, Ark. Walton was also heavily involved in the financing and construction of the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport, which named a terminal after her. In 2001, she was inducted into the Arkansas Aviation Hall of Fame.
