Diksia.com - Nancy Walton Laurie is one of the richest women in the world, with a net worth of $7.77 billion as of July 2023, thanks to her inheritance from the Walmart fortune.
She is an heir to the Walmart fortune, as the daughter of James “Bud” Walton, the cofounder of the retail giant along with his brother Sam Walton.
She is also the owner of a $300 million superyacht called “Kaos”, which was recently vandalized by climate activists in Ibiza, Spain.
Who is Nancy Walton Laurie and what does she do with her wealth? Here are some facts about the billionaire heiress and her lavish lifestyle.
Who is Nancy Walton Laurie?
Nancy Walton Laurie was born on May 15, 1951, in Versailles, Missouri. She grew up in a small town where she met her future husband Bill Laurie, who played basketball at the University of Memphis (then known as Memphis State University). They married in 1974 and had a daughter, Elizabeth Paige Laurie, in 1982.
Nancy inherited her stake in Walmart when her father died in 1995. She owns less than 5% of the company’s shares, but that still amounts to over $9 billion.
She and her husband have been involved in various philanthropic and business ventures, such as donating $25 million to the University of Missouri for a sports arena, founding a New York City dance company called Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, and owning an equine farm where they breed appaloosa horses.
From Missouri to Nevada: The Early Life of Nancy Walton Laurie
Nancy Walton Laurie was born on May 15, 1951, in Missouri. She is the youngest daughter of James “Bud” Walton, the brother and business partner of Sam Walton, the founder of Walmart.
She grew up in Versailles, Missouri, where she met her future husband Bill Laurie, a basketball player who attended the University of Memphis with her. She graduated from the same university in 1973 with a bachelor’s degree in English.
In 1995, when her father died, she inherited around half of his 40 million shares in Walmart, along with her sister Ann Walton Kroenke. She now owns less than a 5% stake in the company, but it is still worth over $9 billion.
She currently lives in Henderson, Nevada, with her husband, where they own a mansion that features a bowling alley, a tennis court, and a lake.
Philanthropy and Controversy: The Charitable Donations of Nancy Walton Laurie
Nancy Walton Laurie and her husband have been involved in various philanthropic causes, especially related to education and sports.
In 2001, they donated $25 million to the University of Missouri for the construction of a new sports arena for the Missouri Tigers basketball team. The arena was named after their daughter Paige Laurie, who graduated from the university in 2004.
However, it was later revealed that Paige had paid another student to do her coursework at the University of Southern California, where she had enrolled before transferring to Missouri. The scandal led to the renaming of the arena to Mizzou Arena in 2005.
Nancy Walton Laurie also founded the Columbia Performing Arts Centre in Columbia, Missouri, where she sponsors ballet classes and performances for children and adults.
She is also a patron of the arts and has a collection of paintings by impressionist artists such as Monet and Renoir.
She has donated some of her artworks to museums such as the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City and the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas.
Luxury and Protest: The Extravagant Lifestyle of Nancy Walton Laurie
Article body: Nancy Walton Laurie is known for her extravagant spending on luxury items such as jewelry, cars, and yachts. She owns a $135 million Boeing Business Jet that has a master bedroom, a dining room, and a living room with a fireplace.
She also owns a $300 million superyacht called Secret that has six decks, a helipad, a swimming pool, a cinema, and a spa. The yacht can accommodate up to 12 guests and 23 crew members.
However, not everyone is impressed by her lavish lifestyle. In March 2023, a group of climate activists from Greenpeace boarded her yacht while it was docked in Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
They spray-painted slogans such as “Save the Planet” and “Stop Burning Fossil Fuels” on the hull of the yacht.
They also unfurled banners that read “Nancy Walton Laurie: Climate Criminal” and “Walmart: Stop Funding Climate Chaos”.
The activists claimed that they were protesting against Walmart’s role in contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation.
What is Kaos?
Kaos is the name of Nancy’s superyacht, which is one of the most luxurious and expensive yachts in the world. It is 361 feet long and has a swimming pool, cinema, spa, and aquarium on board.
It can accommodate up to 18 guests and 36 crew members. It was previously owned by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, who sold it to Nancy for $300 million in 2019.
Why was Kaos vandalized?
On July 16, 2023, Kaos was docked at a port in Ibiza, an island off the coast of Spain, when it was spray-painted by climate activists from an environmental group called Futuro Vegetal.
The activists used red and black paint to write slogans such as “You consume others suffer” and “Stop CO2 emissions” on the stern of the yacht.
They also held up a sign that read “The planet is dying” and uploaded a video of their action on Twitter.
The activists claimed that they wanted to draw attention to the environmental impact of superyachts, which they said are “symbols of inequality and ecological devastation”.
They argued that superyachts consume large amounts of fuel and emit greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming.
They also criticized Nancy for being part of the Walmart family, which they accused of exploiting workers and destroying natural resources.
The vandalism was quickly cleaned up by workers at the port, but it sparked a debate on social media about the ethics and sustainability of superyacht ownership.
Some people supported the activists’ message and condemned Nancy for her excessive wealth and consumption.
Others defended Nancy’s right to enjoy her property and questioned the effectiveness and legality of the activists’ methods.
Conclusion
Nancy Walton Laurie is a Walmart heiress who owns a $300 million yacht called Kaos. She is one of the wealthiest and most influential women in the world, but she is also a controversial figure who faces criticism from environmentalists and social justice advocates.
Her yacht was recently targeted by climate activists who spray-painted it with anti-consumption messages. Whether this incident will change her lifestyle or views remains to be seen.
