The World's Billionaires
Annual rankings -- 2014
Table:
No.

Name

Net worth (USD)

Age

Nationality

Source(s) of wealth

1
Bill Gates
$76.0 billion
58
United States
Microsoft

2
Carlos Slim & family
$72.0 billion
74
Mexico
América Móvil, Grupo Carso

3
Amancio Ortega
$64.0 billion
77
Spain
Inditex

4
Warren Buffett
$58.2 billion
83
United States
Berkshire Hathaway

5
Larry Ellison
$48.0 billion
70
United States
Oracle Corporation

6
Charles Koch
$40.0 billion
78
United States
Koch Industries

6
David Koch
$40.0 billion
73
United States
Koch Industries

8
Sheldon Adelson
$38.0 billion
80
United States
Las Vegas Sands

9
Christy Walton & family
$36.7 billion
65
United States
Walmart

10
Jim Walton
$34.7 billion
65
United States
Walmart

Using the table as well as the article excerpts provided at the end.

Provide an answer to this question: How old was the 78 year old when he was made chairman of Koch Industries ? Return your answer as JSON: {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}. Use only the information given.

Net worth is the value of all the non-financial and financial assets owned by an institutional unit or sector minus the value of all its outstanding liabilities . Since financial assets minus outstanding liabilities equal net financial assets , net worth can also be conveniently expressed as non-financial assets plus net financial assets . Net worth can apply to companies , individuals , governments or economic sectors such as the sector of financial corporations or to entire countries .
The United States dollar ( sign : $ ; code : USD ; also abbreviated US $ and referred to as the dollar , U.S. dollar , or American dollar ) is the official currency of the United States and its territories per the Coinage Act of 1792 . One dollar is divided into 100 cents ( Symbol : ¢ ) or 1000 mills ( for accounting purposes and for taxing . Symbol : ₥ ) . The Coinage Act of 1792 created a decimal currency by creating the following coins : tenth dollar , one-twentieth dollar , one-hundredth dollar . In addition the act created the dollar , half dollar , and quarter dollar coins . All of these coins are still minted in 2020 . In addition , several forms of paper money were introduced by Congress over the years . The latest of these , the Federal Reserve Note , was authorized by the Federal Reserve Act of 1913 , while all existing U.S. currency remains legal tender . Issuance of the previous form of the currency ( U.S. notes ) was discontinued in January 1971 . As a result , currently circulating paper money consists primarily of Federal Reserve Notes that are denominated in United States dollars ( 12 U.S.C . § 418 ) . Since the suspension in 1971 of convertibility of paper U.S. currency into any precious metal , the U.S. dollar is de facto fiat money .
Citizen is the status of a person recognized under the custom or law as being a legal member of a sovereign state or belonging to a nation . The idea of citizenship has been defined as the capacity of individuals to defend their rights in front of the governmental authority . A person may have multiple citizenships . A person who does not have citizenship of any state is said to be stateless , while one who lives on state borders whose territorial status is uncertain is a border-lander .
William Henry Gates III ( born October 28 , 1955 ) is an American business magnate , software developer , investor , and philanthropist . He is best known as the co-founder of Microsoft Corporation . During his career at Microsoft , Gates held the positions of chairman , chief executive officer ( CEO ) , president and chief software architect , while also being the largest individual shareholder until May 2014 . He is one of the best-known entrepreneurs and pioneers of the microcomputer revolution of the 1970s and 1980s . Born and raised in Seattle , Washington , Gates co-founded Microsoft with childhood friend Paul Allen in 1975 in Albuquerque , New Mexico ; it went on to become the world 's largest personal computer software company . [ a ] Gates led the company as chairman and CEO until stepping down as CEO in January 2000 , but he remained chairman and became chief software architect . During the late 1990s , Gates had been criticized for his business tactics , which have been considered anti-competitive . This opinion has been upheld by numerous court rulings . In June 2006 , Gates announced that he would be transitioning to a part-time role at Microsoft and full-time work at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation , the private charitable foundation that he and his wife , Melinda Gates , established in 2000 . He gradually transferred his duties to Ray Ozzie and Craig Mundie . He stepped down as chairman of Microsoft in February 2014 and assumed a new post as technology adviser to support the newly appointed CEO Satya Nadella . Since 1987 , he has been included in the Forbes list of the world 's wealthiest documented individuals .
The United States of America ( USA ) , commonly known as the United States ( U.S. or US ) or America , is a country consisting of 50 states , a federal district , five major self-governing territories , and various possessions . [ g ] At 3.8 million square miles ( 9.8 million km2 ) , it is the world 's third or fourth-largest country by total area [ b ] and is slightly smaller than the entire continent of Europe . Most of the country is located in central North America between Canada and Mexico . With an estimated population of over 328 million , the U.S. is the third most populous country in the world . The capital is Washington , D.C. , and the most populous city is New York City . Paleo-Indians migrated from Siberia to the North American mainland at least 12,000 years ago . European colonization began in the 16th century . The United States emerged from the thirteen British colonies established along the East Coast . Numerous disputes between Great Britain and the colonies led to the American Revolutionary War lasting between 1775 and 1783 , leading to independence . The United States embarked on a vigorous expansion across North America throughout the 19th century - gradually acquiring new territories , displacing Native Americans , and admitting new states - until by 1848 it spanned the continent . During the second half of the 19th century , the American Civil War led to the abolition of slavery in the United States . The Spanish-American War and World War I confirmed the country 's status as a global military power .
Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology company with headquarters in Redmond , Washington . It develops , manufactures , licenses , supports , and sells computer software , consumer electronics , personal computers , and related services . Its best known software products are the Microsoft Windows line of operating systems , the Microsoft Office suite , and the Internet Explorer and Edge web browsers . Its flagship hardware products are the Xbox video game consoles and the Microsoft Surface lineup of touchscreen personal computers . In 2016 , it was the world 's largest software maker by revenue ( currently Alphabet/Google has more revenue ) . The word Microsoft is a portmanteau of microcomputer and software . Microsoft is ranked No . 30 in the 2018 Fortune 500 rankings of the largest United States corporations by total revenue . Microsoft was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen on April 4 , 1975 , to develop and sell BASIC interpreters for the Altair 8800 . It rose to dominate the personal computer operating system market with MS-DOS in the mid-1980s , followed by Microsoft Windows . The company 's 1986 initial public offering ( IPO ) , and subsequent rise in its share price , created three billionaires and an estimated 12,000 millionaires among Microsoft employees . Since the 1990s , it has increasingly diversified from the operating system market and has made a number of corporate acquisitions , their largest being the acquisition of LinkedIn for $ 26.2 billion in December 2016 , followed by their acquisition of Skype Technologies for $ 8.5 billion in May 2011 .
Carlos Slim Helú ( Spanish pronunciation : [ ˈkaɾlos ezˈlim eˈlu ] ; born 28 January 1940 in Mexico City ) is a Mexican business tycoon , investor , philanthropist , and engineer . From 2010 to 2013 , Slim was ranked as the richest person in the world by the Forbes business magazine . He derived his fortune from his extensive holdings in a considerable number of Mexican companies through his conglomerate , Grupo Carso . As of February 2020 , he is the fifth-richest person in the world according to Forbes ' listing of The World 's Billionaires , with he and his family having a net worth estimated at $ 68.9 billion . He is the richest person in Latin America . His conglomerate includes education , health care , industrial manufacturing , transportation , real estate , media , energy , hospitality , entertainment , high-technology , retail , sports and financial services . He accounts for 40% of the listings on the Mexican Stock Exchange , while his net worth is equivalent to about 6 percent of Mexico 's gross domestic product . As of 2016 , he is the largest single shareholder of The New York Times Company .
Mexico ( Spanish : México [ ˈmexiko ] ( listen ) ; Nahuatl languages : Mēxihco ) , officially the United Mexican States ( UMS ; Spanish : Estados Unidos Mexicanos , EUM [ esˈtaðos uˈniðoz mexiˈkanos ] ( listen ) , lit . Mexican United States ) , is a country in the southern portion of North America . It is bordered to the north by the United States ; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean ; to the southeast by Guatemala , Belize , and the Caribbean Sea ; and to the east by the Gulf of Mexico . Covering almost 2,000,000 square kilometers ( 770,000 sq mi ) , the nation is the fifth largest country in the Americas by total area and the 13th largest independent state in the world . With an estimated population of over 129 million people , Mexico is the tenth most populous country and the most populous Spanish-speaking country in the world , while being the second most populous nation in Latin America after Brazil . Mexico is a federation comprising 31 states plus Mexico City ( CDMX ) , which is the capital city and its most populous city . Other metropolises in the country include Guadalajara , Monterrey , Puebla , Toluca , Tijuana , and León . Pre-Columbian Mexico dates to about 8000 BC and is identified as one of six cradles of civilization and was home to many advanced Mesoamerican civilizations such as the Olmec , Toltec , Teotihuacan , Zapotec , Maya , and Aztec before first contact with Europeans . In 1521 , the Spanish Empire conquered and colonized the territory from its politically powerful base in Mexico-Tenochtitlan ( part of Mexico City ) , which was administered as the viceroyalty of New Spain . The Roman Catholic Church played a powerful role in governing the country as millions were converted to the faith , although King Charles III expelled the Jesuits in the 1770s . The territory became a nation state following its recognition in 1821 after the Mexican War of Independence . The post-independence period was tumultuous , characterized by economic inequality and many contrasting political changes .
América Móvil is a Mexican telecommunications corporation headquartered in Mexico City , Mexico . It is the seventh largest mobile network operator in terms of equity subscribers and one of the largest corporations in the world . América Móvil is a Forbes Global 2000 company . As of Q1 , 2019 , América Móvil had 277.4 million wireless subscribers , and 84.3 million fixed revenue generating units ( RGUs , consisting of fixed voice , fixed data and PayTV units ) .
Grupo Carso or Grupo Sanborns SAB is a Mexican global conglomerate company owned by Carlos Slim . It was formed in 1990 after the merger of Corporación Industrial Carso and Grupo Inbursa . The name Carso stands for Carlos Slim and Soumaya Domit de Slim , his late wife . In May 2014 , the conglomerate had a stock market capitalisation of over $ 12 billion US dollars . In 1996 Carso Global Telecom ( which includes Telmex , Telcel and América Móvil ) separated itself from Grupo Carso .
Amancio Ortega Gaona ( Spanish pronunciation : [ aˈmanθjo oɾˈteɣa ɣaˈona ] ; born 28 March 1936 ) is a Spanish billionaire businessman . He is the founder and former chairman of Inditex fashion group , best known for its chain of Zara clothing and accessories shops . As of December 2019 , Ortega had a net worth of $ 68.3 billion , making him the second-wealthiest person in Europe after Bernard Arnault , and the sixth-wealthiest in the world . For a brief period of time in 2015 , he was the richest man in the world , bypassing Bill Gates when his net worth peaked to $ 80 billion as Zara 's parent company , Inditexs , stock peaked . He is the head of the Ortega family and the second wealthiest retailer in the world .
Spain ( Spanish : España [ esˈpaɲa ] ( listen ) ) , officially the Kingdom of Spain ( Spanish : Reino de España ) , [ a ] [ b ] is a country in Southwestern Europe with some pockets of Spanish territory across the Strait of Gibraltar and the Atlantic Ocean . Its continental European territory is situated on the Iberian Peninsula . Its territory also includes two archipelagoes : the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa , and the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea . The African enclaves of Ceuta , Melilla , and Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera make Spain the only European country to have a physical border with an African country ( Morocco ) . [ h ] Several small islands in the Alboran Sea are also part of Spanish territory . The country 's mainland is bordered to the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea except for a small land boundary with Gibraltar ; to the north and northeast by France , Andorra , and the Bay of Biscay ; and to the west and northwest by Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean . With an area of 505,990 km2 ( 195,360 sq mi ) , Spain is the largest country in Southern Europe , the second largest country in Western Europe and the European Union , and the fourth largest country in the European continent . By population ( about 47 million ) , Spain is the sixth largest in Europe and the fifth in the European Union . Spain 's capital and largest city is Madrid ; other major urban areas include Barcelona , Valencia , Seville , Zaragoza , Málaga and Bilbao . Modern humans first arrived in the Iberian Peninsula around 35,000 years ago . Iberian cultures along with ancient Phoenician , Greek , Celtic and Carthaginian settlements developed on the peninsula until it came under Roman rule around 200 BCE , after which the region was named Hispania , based on the earlier Phoenician name Sp ( a ) n or Spania . At the end of the Western Roman Empire the Germanic tribal confederations migrated from Central Europe , invaded the Iberian peninsula and established relatively independent realms in its western provinces , including the Suebi , Alans and Vandals .
Industria de Diseño Textil , S.A. ( Inditex ; /ˌɪndɪˈtɛks/ , Spanish : [ indiˈteks ] ; lit . Textile Design Industry ) is a Spanish multinational clothing company headquartered in Arteixo ( A Coruña ) in Galicia . Inditex , the biggest fashion group in the world , operates over 7,200 stores in 93 markets worldwide . The company 's flagship store is Zara , but it also owns the chains Zara Home , Massimo Dutti , Bershka , Oysho , Pull and Bear , Stradivarius and Uterqüe . The majority of its stores are corporate-owned , while franchises are mainly conceded in countries where corporate properties can not be foreign-owned . The company operates a unique business model : instead of committing a large percentage of production for the next fashion season , the company commits a small amount and uses customer feedback and an efficient production network to replenish stores with new and different products weekly . New styles are prototyped in just 5 days and 60% of the manufacturing happens locally to shorten lead-times . In Zara stores , it can take a new garment as little as 15 days to go from design and production to store shelves .
Warren Edward Buffett ( /ˈbʌfɪt/ ; born August 30 , 1930 ) is an American business magnate , investor , and philanthropist , who is the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway . He is considered one of the most successful investors in the world and has a net worth of US $ 88.9 billion as of December 2019 , making him the fourth-wealthiest person in the world . Buffett was born in Omaha , Nebraska . He developed an interest in business and investing in his youth , eventually entering the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1947 before transferring and graduating from the University of Nebraska at the age of 19 . He went on to graduate from Columbia Business School , where he molded his investment philosophy around the concept of value investing that was pioneered by Benjamin Graham . He attended New York Institute of Finance to focus his economics background and soon after began various business partnerships , including one with Graham . He created Buffett Partnership , Ltd in 1956 and his firm eventually acquired a textile manufacturing firm called Berkshire Hathaway , assuming its name to create a diversified holding company . In 1978 , Charlie Munger joined Buffett and became vice chairman of the company . Buffett has been the chairman and largest shareholder of Berkshire Hathaway since 1970 . He has been referred to as the Oracle or Sage of Omaha by global media outlets . He is noted for his adherence to value investing and for his personal frugality despite his immense wealth . Research published at the University of Oxford characterizes Buffett 's investment methodology as falling within founder centrism - defined by a deference to managers with a founder 's mindset , an ethical disposition towards the shareholder collective , and an intense focus on exponential value creation .
Berkshire Hathaway is an American multinational conglomerate holding company headquartered in Omaha , Nebraska , United States . The company wholly owns GEICO , Duracell , Dairy Queen , BNSF , Lubrizol , Fruit of the Loom , Helzberg Diamonds , Long & Foster , FlightSafety International , Pampered Chef , Forest River and NetJets , and also owns 38.6% of Pilot Flying J ; 26.7% of the Kraft Heinz Company , and significant minority holdings in American Express ( 17.6% ) , Wells Fargo ( 9.9% ) , The Coca-Cola Company ( 9.4% ) , Bank of America ( 6.8% ) , and Apple ( 5.22% ) . Since 2016 , the company has acquired large holdings in the major US airline carriers , and is currently the largest shareholder in United Airlines and Delta Air Lines , and a top three shareholder in Southwest Airlines and American Airlines . Berkshire Hathaway has averaged an annual growth in book value of 19.0% to its shareholders since 1965 ( compared to 9.7% from the S & P 500 with dividends included for the same period ) , while employing large amounts of capital , and minimal debt . The company is known for its control and leadership by Warren Buffett , who serves as chairman and chief executive , and by Charlie Munger , the company 's vice-chairman . In the early part of his career at Berkshire , Buffett focused on long-term investments in publicly traded companies , but more recently he has more frequently bought whole companies . Berkshire now owns a diverse range of businesses including confectionery , retail , railroads , home furnishings , encyclopedias , manufacturers of vacuum cleaners , jewelry sales , manufacture and distribution of uniforms , and several regional electric and gas utilities . According to the Forbes Global 2000 list and formula , Berkshire Hathaway is the third largest public company in the world , the tenth largest conglomerate by revenue and the largest financial services company by revenue in the world . As of February 2020 , Berkshire 's Class B stock is the seventh-largest component of the S & P 500 Index ( which is based on free-float market capitalization ) and the company is famous for having the most expensive share price in history with Class A shares costing around $ 340,000 each . This is because there has never been a stock split in its Class A shares and Buffett stated in a 1984 letter to shareholders that he does not intend to split the stock .
Lawrence Joseph Ellison ( born August 17 , 1944 ) is an American businessman , entrepreneur , and philanthropist who is a co-founder and the executive chairman and chief technology officer ( CTO ) of Oracle Corporation . As of October 2019 , he was listed by Forbes magazine as the fourth-wealthiest person in the United States and as the sixth-wealthiest in the world , with a fortune of $ 69.1 billion , increased from $ 54.5 billion in 2018 .
Oracle Corporation is an American multinational computer technology corporation headquartered in Redwood Shores , California . The company sells database software and technology , cloud engineered systems , and enterprise software products - particularly its own brands of database management systems . In 2019 , Oracle was the second-largest software company by revenue and market capitalization . The company also develops and builds tools for database development and systems of middle-tier software , enterprise resource planning ( ERP ) software , Human Capital Management ( HCM ) software , customer relationship management ( CRM ) software , and supply chain management ( SCM ) software .
Charles de Ganahl Koch ( /koʊk/ ; born November 1 , 1935 ) is an American businessman , political donor and philanthropist . As of March 2019 , he was ranked as the 11th-richest person in the world , with an estimated net worth of $ 50.5 billion . Koch has been co-owner , chairman , and chief executive officer of Koch Industries since 1967 , while his late brother David Koch served as executive vice president . Charles and David each owned 42% of the conglomerate . The brothers inherited the business from their father , Fred C. Koch , then expanded the business . Originally involved exclusively in oil refining and chemicals , Koch Industries now includes process and pollution control equipment and technologies , polymers and fibers , minerals , fertilizers , commodity trading and services , forest and consumer products , and ranching . The businesses produce a wide variety of well-known brands , such as Stainmaster carpet , the Lycra brand of spandex fiber , Quilted Northern tissue , and Dixie Cup . Koch Industries is the second-largest privately held company by revenue in the United States according to a 2010 Forbes survey . In February 2014 , Koch was ranked 9th richest person in the world by Hurun Report with an estimated net worth of $ 36 billion . Previously , in October 2012 , he was ranked the 6th richest person in the world with an estimated net worth of $ 34 billion - according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index - and was ranked 18th on Forbes World 's Billionaires list of 2011 ( and 4th on the Forbes 400 ) , with an estimated net worth of $ 25 billion , deriving from his 42% stake in Koch Industries . Koch has published three books detailing his business philosophy , The Science of Success , Market Based Management , and Good Profit . Koch supports a number of free market-oriented educational organizations , including the Institute for Humane Studies , the Ayn Rand Institute , [ citation needed ] and the Mercatus Center at George Mason University .
Koch Industries , Inc. /koʊk/ is an American multinational corporation based in Wichita , Kansas . Its subsidiaries are involved in the manufacturing , refining , and distribution of petroleum , chemicals , energy , fiber , intermediates and polymers , minerals , fertilizers , pulp and paper , chemical technology equipment , ranching , finance , commodities trading , and investing . Koch owns Invista , Georgia-Pacific , Molex , Flint Hills Resources , Koch Pipeline , Koch Fertilizer , Koch Minerals , Matador Cattle Company , and Guardian Industries . The firm employs 120,000 people in 60 countries , with about half of its business in the United States . The company is the largest landowner in the Athabasca oil sands . With annual revenues of $ 110 billion by 2014 , the company is the second largest privately held company in the United States after Cargill . In 2007 , it was ranked as the largest privately held company . If Koch Industries had been a public company in 2013 , it would have ranked 17th in the Fortune 500 . The company was founded by its namesake , Fred C. Koch , in 1940 after he developed an innovative crude oil refining process . Fred C. Koch died in 1967 and his majority interest in the company was split amongst his four sons . In June 1983 , after a bitter legal and boardroom battle , the stakes of Frederick R. Koch and William Bill Koch were bought out for $ 1.1 billion and Charles Koch and David Koch became majority owners in the company . Charles owns 42% of the company ; trusts for the benefit of Elaine Tettemer Marshall , the daughter in-law of J. Howard Marshall and Anna Nicole Smith , and Elaine 's children , Preston Marshall and E. Pierce Marshall Jr. , own 16% of the company .
David Hamilton Koch ( /koʊk/ ; May 3 , 1940 - August 23 , 2019 ) was an American businessman , philanthropist , political activist , and chemical engineer . In 1970 , he joined the family business : Koch Industries , the second-largest privately held company in the United States . He became president of the subsidiary Koch Engineering in 1979 , and became a co-owner of Koch Industries ( along with elder brother Charles ) in 1983 . Koch served as an executive vice president of Koch Industries until he retired due to health issues in 2018 . Koch was a libertarian . He was the 1980 Libertarian candidate for Vice President of the United States and helped finance the campaign . He founded Citizens for a Sound Economy and donated to advocacy groups and political campaigns , most of which were Republican . Koch became a Republican in 1984 ; in 2012 , he spent over $ 100 million to oppose the re-election of President Barack Obama . Koch was the fourth-richest person in the United States in 2012 and was the wealthiest resident of New York City in 2013 . As of June 2019 , Koch was ranked as the 11th-richest person in the world ( tied with his brother Charles ) , with a fortune of $ 50.5 billion . Known for his philanthropy , Koch contributed to the Lincoln Center , Sloan Kettering , NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital , and the Dinosaur Wing at the American Museum of Natural History . The New York State Theater at Lincoln Center , home of the New York City Ballet , was renamed the David H. Koch Theater in 2008 following Koch 's gift of $ 100 million for the renovation of the theater .
Sheldon Gary Adelson ( pronounced /ˈædəlsən/ ; born August 4 , 1933 ) is an American business magnate , investor , philanthropist , and political donor . He is the founder , chairman and chief executive officer of Las Vegas Sands Corporation , which owns the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore , and the parent company of Venetian Macao Limited , which operates The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino and the Sands Expo and Convention Center . He owns the Israeli daily newspaper Israel Hayom , Makor Rishon and the American daily newspaper Las Vegas Review-Journal . Adelson , a philanthropist and donor to a variety of causes , created the Adelson Foundation in 2007 at the behest of his wife , Miriam . He is a member of the Republican Party , and made the largest single donation to any U.S. presidential inauguration when he gave the Trump inaugural committee US $ 5 million . As of November 2019 [ update ] , Adelson was listed by Forbes as having a fortune of US $ 37.7 billion , making him the 24th-richest person in the world . He is a major contributor to Republican Party candidates . He was the largest donor , of any party , in both the 2012 and 2016 presidential campaigns . He sat out the Republican primary season during the 2016 presidential campaign but on September 23 , he announced a $ 25 million donation to Donald Trump 's 2016 presidential campaign , making him the largest donor to the Trump campaign and the largest donor in the presidential election ( although this was less than the $ 100 million donation some had predicted ) .
Las Vegas Sands Corporation is an American casino and resort company based in Paradise , Nevada , United States . Its resorts feature accommodations , gaming and entertainment , convention and exhibition facilities , restaurants and clubs , as well as an art and science museum in Singapore . It has several resorts in the United States and Asia . Among its properties in the United States are two resorts on the Las Vegas Strip : The Venetian and The Palazzo . In Asia , the Marina Bay Sands located in Singapore is the most recent addition to the company 's portfolio . Through its majority-owned subsidiary Sands China , the company owns several properties in Macau , including the Sands Macao , Sands Cotai Central , The Venetian Macao , The Plaza Macao , Four Seasons Hotel Macao , and The Parisian Macao . It is the largest casino company worldwide .
Christy Ruth Walton ( née Tallant ; born February 8 , 1949 ) is the widow of John T. Walton , one of the sons of Sam Walton , the founder of Walmart . In June 2005 , her husband died in a plane crash , making her the main heir to his fortune of US $ 18.2 billion . Forbes listed Christy Walton as the richest woman in the world for several years . Her net worth was estimated to $ 41.7 billion in March 2015 , the bulk of which came from her shares in Walmart , but also from First Solar , in which her husband had invested . In November 2015 , an analysis of court documents by Bloomberg revealed that the bulk of her husband 's wealth had been transferred to her son , Lukas Walton , so that her own net worth was only about US $ 5 billion .
Walmart Inc. ( /ˈwɔːlmɑːrt/ ; formerly Wal-Mart Stores , Inc. ) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets , discount department stores , and grocery stores , headquartered in Bentonville , Arkansas . The company was founded by Sam Walton in 1962 and incorporated on October 31 , 1969 . It also owns and operates Sam 's Club retail warehouses . As of January 31 , 2020 , [ update ] Walmart has 11,503 stores and clubs in 27 countries , operating under 55 different names . The company operates under the name Walmart in the United States and Canada , as Walmart de México y Centroamérica in Mexico and Central America , as Asda in the United Kingdom , as the Seiyu Group in Japan , and as Best Price in India . It has wholly owned operations in Argentina , Chile , Canada , and South Africa . Since August 2018 , Walmart only holds a minority stake in Walmart Brasil , which was renamed Grupo Big in August 2019 , with 20 percent of the company 's shares , and private equity firm Advent International holding 80 percent ownership of the company . Walmart is the world 's largest company by revenue , with US $ 514.405 billion , according to the Fortune Global 500 list in 2019 . It is also the largest private employer in the world with 2.2 million employees . It is a publicly traded family-owned business , as the company is controlled by the Walton family . Sam Walton 's heirs own over 50 percent of Walmart through their holding company Walton Enterprises and through their individual holdings . Walmart was the largest U.S. grocery retailer in 2019 , and 65 percent of Walmart 's US $ 510.329 billion sales came from U.S. operations .
James Carr Walton ( born June 7 , 1948 ) is an heir to the fortune of Walmart , the world 's largest retailer . As of November 2019 , Walton was the 15th-richest person in the world , with a net worth of $ 53.1 billion . He is the youngest son of Sam Walton .