Nancy Walton Laurie

Nancy Walton Laurie
Born	(1951-05-15) May 15, 1951 (age 73)[1]
Nationality	American
Education	University of Memphis[2]
Known for	Walton family fortune
Spouse	Bill Laurie
Children	1
Parent(s)	James "Bud" Walton Audrey Walton
Relatives	Ann Walton Kroenke (sister)

Nancy Walton Laurie (born May 15, 1951) is an American billionaire, as an heir to the Walmart fortune.

Early life

Walton was born on May 15, 1951.^[3] She is the younger daughter of Bud Walton, the brother and business partner of Walmart founder Sam Walton.^[4] She grew up in Versailles, Missouri, where she met future husband Bill Laurie.^[5] At Bud's death, she and her sister Ann Walton Kroenke inherited a stake in Walmart now worth over $9 billion.^[6]

Philanthropy

With her husband, she donated US$25 million to the University of Missouri for the construction of a new sports arena for the Missouri Tigers in 2001, to be named after their daughter Paige Laurie, who did not attend the university.^[7][8] However, it was revealed shortly after the 2004–05 basketball season started that Paige Laurie paid her USC roommate to do much of her homework for her, even after the roommate left the university due to financial issues. The Lauries gave up the naming rights on November 23, 2004, to the university, which then renamed the arena with the university's common nickname "Mizzou" and removed all mention of Elizabeth Paige Laurie from the venue, beyond the bare minimum required to acknowledge the Lauries' gift.^[9] They have also endowed the E. Paige Laurie Professorship for the Equine Center at the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Missouri.^[7] According to The Los Angeles Times, they have also made charitable gifts for "a cancer research center" and "a shelter for abused women" and "a children's hospital."^[7]

Laurie is the founder of the Nancy Walton Laurie Leadership Institute at the Chi Omega sorority.^[8] She was the president and founder of a New York City dance company called the Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, which closed in 2015.^[10] She is the owner of the Columbia Performing Arts Centre, a dance studio located in Columbia, Missouri.^[11]

Personal life

Laurie married Bill Laurie, after a courtship that occurred when they both attended the University of Memphis (then known as Memphis State University).^[12]

The couple resides primarily in the Las Vegas Valley, owning a mansion in Henderson, Nevada^[2] and Bel Air, California.^[4][13][14] They also have homes in Columbia, Missouri, where they own an equine farm where they breed appaloosa horses,^[7][15] and Bel Air, California.^[4] In January 2015, she filed a lawsuit through her company, LW Partnership, against Mohamed Hadid, a property developer who is building a retaining wall next to the Bel Air house, alleging Hadid damaged the roots of a eucalyptus tree.^[4] According to the Center for Investigative Reporting, Walton uses "at least 2.3 million gallons (8.7 million liters) per year" to water her Bel Air estate.^[16]

Laurie owns a superyacht called Kaos, on which she cruised to the UK in May 2023.^[17][18] In July 2023, Kaos was sprayed with paint by members of Futuro Vegetal a Spanish climate movement in the port of Ibiza. The members of Futuro Vegetal showed a poster saying "You consume - others suffer".^[19][20]

References

1. U.S. Public Records Index, Vols. 1 & 2 (Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.), 2010.
2. "The World's Billionaires (2010): #363 Nancy Walton Laurie". Forbes. March 3, 2010. Retrieved February 20, 2011.
3. "Making Change at Walmart - Change Walmart. Rebuild America". Retrieved 29 January 2017.
4. Matt Lopez, Walmart Heiress Seeks Damages From Bel Air's 901 Strada Vecchia, The Beverly Hills Courier, January 23, 2015, pp. 1;11
5. Walmart Heirs Buy St. Louis Hockey Team, Sports Arena.
6. "How much is the Walton family worth?". FOXBusiness. 2020-03-04. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
7. Stephanie Simon, Fuming at What Isn't in a Name: A University of Memphis sports complex is named after philanthropists' child, who goes to USC., The Los Angeles Times, April 04, 2004
8. Sarah DeShazo, Nancy Walton Laurie: Ballet's Next Best Friend?, Inside Philanthropy, July 31, 2013
9. • "Lauries Transfer Arena Naming Rights Back to Missouri U." St. Louis Business Journal. November 23, 2004. Retrieved December 17, 2013.
   • Simon, Stephanie (November 25, 2004). "Benefactors Find Scandal Gave New Arena a Bad Name". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 17, 2013.
   • "Univ. of Missouri Board Approves New Arena Name". St. Louis Business Journal. November 26, 2004. Retrieved December 17, 2013.
   • Martin, Sheena (December 10, 2004). "Paige Sports Arena Signs Removed from eBay". The Maneater. University of Missouri–Columbia. Retrieved December 17, 2013.
10. Holt, Emily (22 August 2005). "Stage Mom". Retrieved 29 January 2017.
11. "Nancy Walton Laurie: Ballet's Next Best Friend?".
12. "The 400 Richest Americans: #144 Nancy Walton Laurie". Forbes.com. 17 September 2008. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
13. "Forbes 400 Richest Americans (2010): #136 Nancy Walton Laurie". Forbes. March 2014. Retrieved April 26, 2014.
14. Las Vegas Business Press :: News : Inspirada brings 'New Urbanism' feel to Henderson community
15. Ashley Jost, Barn a complete loss after Crown Center Farms fire: Apartment burns in separate blaze., Columbia Daily Tribune, March 24, 2014
16. "Who is the Wet Prince of Bel Air? Here are the likely culprits". 19 September 2016. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
17. Day-Parker, Jessica (24 May 2023). "Walmart heiress' £240million superyacht moored off Shoebury". Southend Echo. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
18. "Superyachtfan - Motor Yacht Kaos - Nancy Walton Yacht Kaos".
19. "En libertad con cargos los dos detenidos que rociaron de pintura un yate amarrado en el puerto de Ibiza". Periodico de Ibiza y Formentera. 18 July 2023.
20. "Futuro Vegetal Destroza El Mega-Yate De Una De Las Mujeres Má Ricas Del Mundo". futuro-vegetal. 18 July 2023.