Walmart CEO Swap: AI Apocalypse Hits Aisle 10,750
KEY POINTS
- •Doug McMillon retires as Walmart CEO on Feb 1, 2026.
- •John Furner, 51, joins as CEO; began as hourly associate in 1993.
- •Walmart makes $680 billion annually; serves 270 million across 19 countries.
- •Company undergoing AI transformation impacting over 2 million jobs.
Doug McMillon, aka The CEO Who Quadrupled Walmart's Stock Since 2013 (and clocked in since forever), is retiring at 59, just in time for everyone to freak out about tariffs and affordability. Enter John Furner, the 51-year-old Walmart lifer who started as an hourly associate in 1993, climbed the retail Himalayas via Sam's Club and Walmart China, and is now saddled with 2 million jobs about to get AI'd. Walmart’s $680 billion revenue empire serves 270 million weekly customers in 19 countries and 10,750 stores—which is basically a small country of discount aisles. McMillon stays on-board through June 2026, because why not extend the Walmart saga while Wall Street tweets anxiously about Furner’s big AI moves in February?
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When your CEO retires but keeps hanging on like that relative who never leaves Thanksgiving, and the new guy inherits 2 million AI-charged jobs plus tariffs. Walmart’s aisles are about to get woke and robotic all at once. Retail apocalypse vibes, anyone?
John Furner started hourly in '93 and now runs Walmart with AI as his sidekick—proof dreams come true if you love fluorescent lighting and discount socks.
Doug McMillon quadrupled Walmart's stock, retired at 59, then stayed on board longer than most people hold phone contracts. Is this CEO or executive Netflix series?
Source: Axios | Published: 11/14/2025 | Author: Mike Allen
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