Samuel Robson Walton (born October 27, 1944) He is also the principal owner of the Denver Broncos.

Early life and family

right|thumb|Walton in 2011

Rob Walton was born on October 27, 1944, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the oldest of four children of Sam Walton (1918–1992), cofounder of Walmart, and Helen Walton (1919–2007). He has a younger brother, Jim Walton, and a younger sister, Alice Walton. Another brother, John Walton, died in 2005.

Walton attended The College of Wooster and graduated from the University of Arkansas in 1966 with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration, where he was a member of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. He received his juris doctor degree from Columbia Law School in 1969. Walton is also a trustee at The College of Wooster.

Along with his siblings, he has pledged about $2 billion to the Walton Family Foundation from 2008 to 2013. Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was announced as added to the ownership group on July 11, 2022. The family then announced on August 2, 2022, that Lewis Hamilton would be added to the ownership group. Walton delegated most day-to-day authority to his son-in-law and successor as Walmart chairman, Greg Penner, who took over as CEO of the franchise and the public face of the ownership group.

Personal life

By the time he left Tulsa in 1978, Walton had three children, was divorced from his first wife, and had remarried to Carolyn Funk. He and Carolyn filed for divorce in 2000. He married his third wife Melani Lowman-Walton in 2005. His children include Carrie Walton Penner.

Walton is a well-known collector of automobiles.

References

  • Official Wal-Mart biography
  • S. Robson Walton's campaign contributions
  • Rob Walton Refuses to Answer on Company’s Record in Local Communities - video report by Democracy Now!