Walton is the person who created the well-known American stores , Wal-Mart and Sam 's Club . Walton was born to Thomas Gibson Walton and Nancy Lee Walton . He left his ownership in Wal-Mart to his wife and their children : Rob Walton succeeded his father as the Chairman of the Board of Wal-Mart , and John Walton was a director until his death in a 2005 plane crash .