The Walton family, considered the richest in the world, sold 16.7 million shares in Walmart, one of the world's largest multinationals.

The Walton Family Holdings Trust, the family's main investment vehicle, and which secures half of its Walmart holdings, has sold €1.8 billion in shares since January 1, €412 million last week alone, according to Securities and Exchange Commission data.

These businesses "are consistent with the family's effort to maintain a proper financial balance of Walmart's family and non-family ownership over time and on the other hand with the desire to help charity," explained Randy Hargrove, a spokesman for Bentonville, Arkansas-based company.

On the other hand, since it started its Buybacks program, Walmart has bought about 35.9 billion euros worth of stock, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

During this period, the company's shares rose 64%, helping to boost the family's combined fortune to 202 billion euros, three-quarters of which is tied to shares held in Walmart, according to Bloomberg's Multimillionaire Index.