Alice Walton, the world’s richest woman, along with her brothers Jim and Rob Walton, saw their combined net worth decline by $6.2bn in a single day, according to Forbes estimates.
Each Walton sibling lost an average of $2bn, with Jim and Rob Walton alone seeing a $2.1bn drop in their fortunes.
The losses were compounded by a sharp decline in Walmart’s stock price, which has fallen 9.53 per cent over the past five days.
Shares of Walmart Inc. have been on a downward spiral, closing at $84.68 on March 13, down from $87.70 on March 10—a decline of $8.92 per share in just five days. The retailer’s stock opened at $85.12 with a high of $85.35 and a low of $84.81, reflecting ongoing market jitters.
The company’s market capitalisation now stands at $684.04bn, with a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 35.28 and a dividend yield of 1.11 per cent.
The downturn in Walmart’s stock comes as China issues a stern warning to the retail giant over its handling of U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports.
Beijing recently summoned Walmart executives for discussions, following reports that the company was pressuring Chinese suppliers to cut wholesale prices to offset higher U.S. tariffs.
China’s Ministry of Commerce has expressed concerns that Walmart’s move could disrupt supply chains and violate commercial contracts, warning that if the retailer insists on shifting tariff-related costs onto Chinese manufacturers, the consequences could extend beyond just a meeting.
The escalating trade dispute between the U.S. and China is adding further uncertainty to Walmart’s stock performance.
The Trump administration recently doubled blanket tariffs on steel and aluminium imports to 20 per cent, intensifying the economic standoff between the world’s two largest economies.
Unlike her brothers Rob and Jim Walton, who serve on Walmart’s board, Alice Walton has taken a different path, dedicating herself to art and philanthropy.
She is the only daughter of Sam Walton and has focused on curating art rather than retail operations. In 2011, she founded the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, featuring works by Andy Warhol, Norman Rockwell, and Mark Rothko.
More recently, she has turned her attention to healthcare innovation, launching a holistic health institute in 2021, which was later renamed the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine in 2022.
With Walmart shares continuing their downward trajectory, the Walton family’s wealth remains vulnerable to ongoing economic and trade tensions.
