The documents unsealed by the court reinforce how close the family remains in business, more than two decades after Sam Walton’s death. They show loans to the estate from Sam’s three surviving children that enabled it to meet its obligations and prevent any loss of control at the family retailer.
It’s a setup not likely to be lost upon the youngest Wal- Mart billionaire. If Lukas is ever tempted to break the tradition of family rule, his grandfather left some stern advice for his offspring.
"If you start any of that foolishness, I’ll come back and haunt you," Sam Walton warned in his book. "So don’t even think about it."