Walmart Inc. is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets, discount department stores, and grocery stores in the United States and 23 other countries. It is headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas. The company was founded in 1962 by brothers Sam and James "Bud" Walton in nearby Rogers, Arkansas. It also owns and operates Sam's Club retail warehouses. As of October 31, 2022, Walmart has 10,586 stores and clubs in 24 countries, operating under 46 different names. Walmart is the world's largest company by revenue, according to the Fortune Global 500 list in October 2022. Walmart is also the largest private employer in the world, with 2.1 million employees. It is a publicly traded family-owned business, as the company is controlled by the Walton family. Sam Walton's heirs own over 50 percent of Walmart through both their holding company Walton Enterprises and their individual holdings. Walmart was listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1972. By 1988, it was the most profitable retailer in the U.S., and it had become the largest in terms of revenue by October 1989. Wikipedia