Walmart shares experienced their worst day in over a year on Thursday, resulting in billions wiped off the net worth of the retail giant’s heirs. The company issued a weaker-than-expected forecast for 2025 and cautioned about the impact of President Donald Trump’s tariffs on consumer prices. Descendants of Walmart founders Bud and Sam Walton, who rank among the world’s wealthiest individuals, saw significant losses. The three living children of Sam Walton—Alice, Jim, and Rob—each lost over $6 billion. Other family members, including Lukas Walton and Christy Walton, collectively lost around $3 billion. Bud Walton’s daughters, Nancy Walton Laurie and Ann Walton Kroenke, suffered a $1.5 billion hit to their fortunes. Walmart lost approximately $51 billion in market capitalization on Thursday. Walmart CEO Doug McMillon emphasized the company’s goal to save consumers money amidst tariff concerns. CFO John David Rainey noted that tariffs were not factored into full-year forecasts but acknowledged potential price increases. Despite Thursday’s setback, Walmart remains one of the strongest performers in the stock market, with shares up 8% year-to-date and 66% over the last year. — news from Forbes
