Christy Ruth Walton (née Tallant; born February 8, 1949) is the widow of John T. Walton, one of the sons of Sam Walton, the founder of Walmart. In June 2005, her husband died in a plane crash, making her the main heir to his fortune of US$18.2 billion. Forbes listed Christy Walton as the richest woman in the world for several years.