Arkansans in Exclusive Company
by March 18, 2013 12:00 am 80 views
We’re not sure why Forbes magazine publishes an annual list of billionaires, but we have to admit we like it.
For those keeping score at home, Christy Walton, at No. 11, is the highest-ranking person with strong Arkansas ties on the list, with a net worth estimated at $28.2 billion. Here’s what Forbes had to say about her:
“Wal-Mart widow Christy Walton’s net worth reached new highs as Wal-Mart stock jumped in 2012. She remains the richest woman in the United States. Christy inherited her wealth when husband John Walton, a former Green Beret and Vietnam War medic, died in an airplane crash in 2005. John’s side investment in First Solar had boosted Christy’s net worth well above the rest of her family, but the stock sank in 2012, narrowing her lead to just $1.5 billion over brother-in-law Jim. The rest of her holdings are in Wal-Mart, the massive retailer founded by her father-in-law Sam Walton and his brother James in 1962. Christy also received more than $430 million in Wal-Mart dividends after taxes in 2012.”
Indeed, Jim Walton ($26.7 billion) is ranked 14th, followed by Alice Walton ($26.3 billion) at 16th and S. Robson Walton ($26.1 billion) at 17th.
Others with Arkansas ties appearing on the list are Ann Walton Kroenke (No. 277), Nancy Walton Laurie (No. 346), Warren Stephens (No. 527), Johnelle Hunt (No. 792) and Drayton McLane Jr. (No. 831).
And These
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones ranked fourth among sports figures with a net worth estimated at $2.7 billion.
No. 1? That’s Stanley Kroenke ($5 billion), husband of Ann Walton Kroenke and owner of the Denver Nuggets, the Colorado Avalanche, the St. Louis Rams and Premier League soccer club Arsenal.
In a significantly lower tax bracket but still doing just fine is University of Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long. According to USA Today, Long ranks 11th among NCAA athletic directors with total annual compensation of $903,000.
That total includes a one-time, $50,000 payment from chancellor G. David Gearhart “in recognition of your outstanding performance and the additional duties you are performing this year.”