This post is written as part of AOL Money & Finance's Best & Worst 2006. If you wouldn't mind seeing the Waltons lose all their money, be sure to cast your vote.

The patriarch of the Walton family, the wealthiest family in the world, is Sam Walton, founder of retail giants Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT) and Sam's Club. Forbes called him the richest man in the world from 1985 to 1988, and Time magazine listed him as one of the 100 most influential people of the twentieth century. Papa Walton received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1992 from President George H.W. Bush. When Sam died in April of 1992, his eldest son, Rob, succeeded him as chairman of the board. Sam's widow and other children, John, Jim, and Alice, all own shares in the company, and members of the family held five spots in the top ten richest people in the United States until 2005. It has been suggested that if Sam were still alive today, his wealth would be nearly double that of Bill Gates, fellow nominee in this category.

John Walton, a Green Beret, saw action in the Vietnam War and was awarded the Silver Star. He sat on the Wal-Mart board until he died in a plane crash in 2005, at which time he was worth an estimated $18 billion, tied with his brother Jim as the eleventh richest person in the world, according to Forbes.

Helen Walton, Sam's widow, and her daughter Alice each have an estimated net worth of around $18 billion. Jim Walton's estimated net worth is around $15 billion. The daughters of Sam's partner and brother, Bud Walton, also hold shares in the company and are billionaires as well.