Walmart heir Lukas Walton buys stake in Chicago Bulls, United Center

Lukas Walton has bought a minority stake in the Chicago Bulls and the United Center, a personal investment that leaves control with the Reinsdorf and Wirtz families. The transaction, announced June 26, involved the purchase of existing stakes from certain limited partners, and the size of the holding was not disclosed.

The deal does not alter Walmart pay, schedules, benefits, attendance rules or store management. Walton is the grandson of Walmart founder Sam Walton and the son of John Walton, but this purchase sits outside Walmart’s operating structure and does not create a new workplace policy, benefit or associate program.

The 1901 Project is a $7 billion redevelopment around the United Center on the city’s Near West Side. Ground was broken June 3, 2026, and phase one includes a new music venue, hotel and parking garage. The broader plan would transform 55 acres of surface parking lots into a mixed-use district, and Chicago City Council approved about a $55 million tax break for the project in May.

Michael Reinsdorf said the organization was pleased to welcome Lukas and Samantha Walton because they share a belief in Chicago and its civic institutions. Danny Wirtz said the families have partnered in the United Center’s development for 30 years and pointed to a bright future. The Waltons said the Bulls are as iconic as the city itself and admired the Reinsdorf and Wirtz families’ vision for The 1901 Project and the project’s impact on the West Side.

CNBC valued the Bulls at about $6.45 billion and said they are the fifth-most valuable team in the league, while Forbes put the franchise at about $6 billion. Jerry Reinsdorf bought the Bulls in 1985 for $16.2 million.

Walton is 39 and lives in Chicago with Samantha Walton. Forbes puts his net worth at roughly $45 billion to $45.8 billion, and he holds stakes in Walmart and the Arvest Bank group. His uncle, Rob Walton, bought the Denver Broncos in 2022.