Walton vs Ballmer

Walmart and Microsoft.

The differences

Forbes puts Steve Ballmer about $22.6B ahead of Rob Walton.Forbes figures from 15 Oct 2026 and 17 Oct 2026.
Rob Walton: inherited it. Steve Ballmer: built it up.

Put someone else on either side

Walton

Ballmer

Net worth, Forbes: $142BForbes, 17 Oct 2026; $165BForbes, 15 Oct 2026
Net worth, Bloomberg: $144BBloomberg, 17 Oct 2026; $185BBloomberg, 16 Oct 2026
Forbes rank: No. 12Real-Time list, 17 Oct 2026; No. 9Real-Time list, 15 Oct 2026
Billionaire since: Not stated; Not stated

How it started: Inherited itSon of Walmart founder Sam Walton; joined Walmart in 1969 and chaired it from 1992 to 2015; Built it upNeither founder nor heir: he joined Microsoft in 1980 as employee No. 30 and first business manager, and was CEO 2000-2014; Forbes counts him as self-made
Main source: Walmart stock held through Walton Enterprises and the Walton Family Holdings TrustBloomberg: 'The majority of Rob Walton's fortune is derived from Walmart'; Microsoft stockBloomberg: 'The majority of Steve Ballmer's fortune is derived from a stake in Microsoft'
Companies: WalmartWalmart: Retired chairman; left the board in 2024; MicrosoftMicrosoft: None (shareholder)
Biggest stake: WalmartStake not stated; MicrosoftStake not stated

Born: Not stated; 24 Mar 1956Detroit, Michigan, United States
Country: United StatesLives in Bentonville, Arkansas, United States; United StatesLives in Hunts Point, Washington, United States
Education: Graduate degreeBA, University of Arkansas; JD, Columbia University; Bachelor's degreeDegree in applied mathematics and economics, Harvard University; left Stanford Graduate School of Business in 1980 to join Microsoft
Parents: Son of Sam and Helen Walton, who opened a five-and-dime store in Arkansas in 1950 and later created Walmart; Father was a manager at Ford Motor Co.Mother's occupation not in the cited sources

Giving Pledge: Not a signer; Not a signer
Foundation: Rob Walton FoundationSeparate from the family-wide Walton Family Foundation; Ballmer GroupCo-founded with his wife Connie Ballmer in 2015; he also founded USAFacts
Lifetime giving: Not stated; $7.4BForbes, 14 Oct 2026. Forbes: 'the Ballmers have given away more than $7.4 billion' (Steve and Connie together)

Role now: RetiredRetired chairman of Walmart; owner in the Denver Broncos' Walton-Penner ownership group; No roleFormer Microsoft CEO and director; owner and chairman of the LA Clippers
Successor: Greg Penner, his son-in-law, is Walmart's non-executive chairman; John Furner is president and CEOSteuart Walton is a director, not an executive. The Delaware court opinion identifies Penner as his son-in-law; Satya Nadella succeeded him as Microsoft CEO in February 2014No Ballmer family member is named in a Microsoft executive role
Public office: None found; None found
Legal record: None found; None found