Lukas Walton, a grandson of Walmart founder Sam Walton, is ranked No. 40 on the Forbes 2026 World’s Billionaires list with a net worth of $48.9 billion. In 2026 he bought a minority stake in the Chicago Bulls.
Lukas Tyler Walton was born on September 19, 1986. He is the only child of John T. Walton and Christy Walton. His father, one of Sam Walton’s sons, died in a plane crash in 2005, after which Lukas moved with his mother to Jackson, Wyoming.
Net Worth and Rank
- Forbes 2026 list: No. 40, with $48.9 billion
- History: Forbes ranked him 106th in 2022 with $16.5 billion, and 60th in 2024 with $28 billion
Early Life and Education
He grew up in National City, California, and Jackson Hole, Wyoming. At three he was diagnosed with a rare kidney cancer, from which he recovered. He earned a bachelor’s degree in environmentally sustainable business from Colorado College, graduating in 2010, and worked at True North Venture Partners.
Investments and Philanthropy
- Builders Initiative: a Walton family foundation of which he and his wife, Samantha Walton, are co-presidents
- Sports: in 2026 he and his wife bought a minority stake in the NBA team the Chicago Bulls and in its home venue, the United Center
Politics
In 2020 he gave $5,600 to Joe Biden’s campaign and $142,000 to the Democratic National Committee, according to Wikipedia.
Personal Life
Walton lives in Jackson, Wyoming, and Chicago. Forbes has named him the richest person in Illinois.
Why It Matters
Lukas Walton is the youngest of the Walton heirs on the list, and his fortune comes from the Walmart shares inherited from his father.
Net worth figures change daily with share prices. Rankings here follow the Forbes 2026 World’s Billionaires list, with wealth measured on March 1, 2026.
Image: The United Center in Chicago, home of the Chicago Bulls, in which Lukas Walton bought a minority stake in 2026 (file photo; he is not pictured). Photo: Alacoolwiki / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
