When walking into one of the 11,088 location around the world, ever wonder where Wal-Mart began? Shown above is Sam Walton's Five and Dime Store in Bentonville, Arkansas. Originally purchased in 1950 as a franchise of Ben Franklin stores, it was here Walton would implement his philosophy of selling products at a lower profit to gain a higher volume of sales.

The business model was an instant success, and Walton would open 23 more stores within five years. New locations sprang up in other states, and simple storefronts would evolve into "Supercenters".

For better or worse, today there are 2.2 million employees across 27 countries, and four of the world's top 15 billionaires are from one family.