How Much Were the Walton Children's Shares Worth?

David Senra says each of Sam Walton's four children has owned one-fifth of their parents' stock and property since 1954, and at the time of the recording the shares were worth $130 billion, $127 billion, or $117 billion depending on the child. Senra is not sure he remembers that opening figure and puts it at something like $5,000. One son later put the shares at no more than $5,000 each, because the parents had only a variety store or two.

Sam Walton and his wife created the trust when one son was 10 and a daughter was only 5. Father-in-law L.S. Robson, a banker and a lawyer, urged the early estate planning after he had already given Sam Walton's wife and her siblings equal shares in a vast ranch in Oklahoma. Sam Walton could see it was the thing to do, came home, and had the papers drawn up. The gift took place four decades earlier.

Sam Walton's imagination, genius, and drive exploded the shares to a value of almost $2 billion each.