Forbes: Arkansas’ richest families see wealth grow 

by Kim Souza ([email protected]) 2,830 views 

Jim Walton, 75, and his family, which includes sons Tom and Steuart, ranked No. 18 on the Forbes Billionaire List for 2024 at $78.4 billion. Walton is the youngest son of Walmart founders Sam and Helen Walton and is the former chairman of Arvest Bank.

Walton’s ranking fell from 15 last year, but his wealth increased from $58.8 billion reported a year ago. Over the past five years, his wealth has grown from $44.6 billion, a gain of 75% since 2019, according to Forbes.

Rob Walton, 79, the oldest son of the Walmart founders, ranked No. 19 on the list with a net worth of $77.4 billion. His wealth grew from $57.6 billion in 2023. Rob Walton is also an owner of the Denver Broncos professional football team. Over the past five years, his wealth has 74.7% from $44.3 billion.

Alice Walton, 74, the only daughter of the Walmart founders, ranked No. 21 on the list this year with a net worth of $72.3 billion. She is a philanthropist supporting art and healthcare in her home region. Her wealth grew from $56.7 billion in 2023 and is up 62.8% since 2019.

Johnelle Hunt, 92, is the co-founder of J.B. Hunt Transport Services, ranked No. 624 on the Forbes Billionaire list in 2024 with a net worth of $4.9 billion, up from $4.3 billion last year. Over the past five years, her net worth has grown 75% from $2.8 billion.

Warren Stephens, 67, is the chairman and CEO of Little Rock-based investment banking firm Stephens Inc., which was ranked just outside the top 1,000 at 1,033 in this year’s report. His net worth grew to $3.2 billion, on par with a year ago. Over the past five years, it has grown from $2.5 billion, or 28%.

John Tyson, 70, is chairman of Tyson Foods and grandson of the founder. He ranked at 1,330 in this year’s list with a net worth of $2.5 billion, down from $2.6 billion last year but up from $1.9 billion in 2019.

Barbara Tyson, 75, is the sister-in-law of John Tyson and wife of the late Randal Tyson, who died in 1986. She has been a board member at Tyson Foods since 1988. Her net worth totaled $2.1 billion this year, flat compared to a year ago. She ranked No. 1,520 on the list this year. No data was available for her before 2023.