Alice Walton, Walmart Heiress, Focuses $134 Billion Fortune on American Art and Medical Education
Alice Walton, daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton and currently the world's richest woman with an estimated $134 billion fortune, has largely distanced herself from the day-to-day operations of the retail giant. Instead, she has dedicated her wealth and efforts to two primary passions: American art and medical education. Her most significant contribution to the art world is the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, which she established in 2005. The museum, designed by Israeli-American architect Moshe Safdie, offers free admission, supported by an $800 million endowment and a $20 million donation from Walmart to cover entry costs. Walton also founded Art Bridges, an organization that circulates major art works to smaller regional museums across the U.S., and in 2021, she established the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine, focusing on chronic disease prevention with free tuition for its initial graduating classes. 
