Fortinet vs Walmart: Founders, CEOs and History
Fortinet was founded in 2000 by Ken Xie, Michael Xie and is led by Ken Xie. Walmart was founded in 1962 by Sam Walton and is led by John Furner.
Company facts
Founders
Fortinet
Ken Xie
Ken Xie co-founded Fortinet in 2000 with his brother Michael and has led it as Chairman and CEO since. Before Fortinet he co-founded NetScreen Technologies, a hardware-accelerated firewall company that Juniper Networks acquired in 2004 for about $4 billion.
Michael Xie
Michael Xie co-founded Fortinet with his brother Ken Xie in 2000 and serves as President and Chief Technology Officer. He oversees engineering, including the FortiOS operating system and the FortiASIC processors that accelerate FortiGate firewalls.
Walmart
Sam Walton
Sam Walton opened the first Walmart Discount City in Rogers, Arkansas in 1962 and built the company around low prices, low costs, and its own distribution network. He served as CEO until 1988 and remained chairman until his death in 1992.
CEOs and their tenures
Fortinet
- Ken Xie2000–present
Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Xie is widely recognized as one of the most successful and enduring pioneers of the modern cybersecurity industry.
Source - Michael Xie2000–present
Co-Founder, President and Chief Technology Officer
Co-founded Fortinet with his brother Ken Xie in 2000 and has served as President and CTO, directing engineering and the custom silicon that differentiates FortiGate.
Source - Christiane Ohlgart2023–present
Chief Financial Officer
Serving as interim CFO, she steered the company through a severe, highly volatile period of plunging hardware sales, aggressively pushing the company's transition toward higher-margin software and services revenue.
Source
Walmart
- Sam Walton1962–1988
Founder and CEO
Founded Walmart and set its low-price, low-cost operating approach.
Source - Doug McMillon2014–2026
Former President and CEO
Led Walmart's push into ecommerce, marketplace, advertising, and store-fulfilled delivery, and oversaw the Jet.com, Flipkart, and VIZIO deals.
Source - Greg Penner2015–present
Chairman of the Board
He successfully managed the transition of corporate leadership to Doug McMillon and actively oversees the Walton family's controlling stake in the retail giant.
Source - John David Rainey2022–present
Executive Vice President and CFO
As CFO, he aggressively executed multi-billion-dollar share repurchases while funding massive capital expenditures for store remodels and automation.
Source - John Furner2026–present
President and CEO
Became President and CEO on February 1, 2026, succeeding Doug McMillon. He reshaped the executive team with internal promotions in January 2026.
Source - David Guggina2026–present
President and CEO, Walmart U.S.
As head of supply chain operations, he modernized the underlying logistics network that allowed Walmart to successfully compete with Amazon's two-day delivery speeds.
Source
Timeline: Fortinet and Walmart side by side
1962Walmart
First Walmart Opens
Sam Walton opens the first Walmart Discount City in Rogers, Arkansas.
1970Walmart
Walmart Goes Public
Walmart sells shares to the public to fund expansion.
1983Walmart
Sam's Club Launches
The first Sam's Club warehouse club opens in Midwest City, Oklahoma.
1988Walmart
First Supercenter and New CEO
Walmart opens its first supercenter, and David Glass succeeds Sam Walton as CEO.
2000Fortinet
Fortinet Founded
Ken Xie and Michael Xie founded Fortinet to build high-performance network security products.
2000Walmart
Lee Scott Becomes CEO
Lee Scott succeeds David Glass as CEO.
2002Fortinet
FortiGate Launch
The FortiGate appliance family established Fortinet's firewall-led product identity.
2009Fortinet
IPO
Fortinet went public, giving the company access to capital for global enterprise expansion.
2012Fortinet
Acquired XDN
Fortinet acquired XDN. Fortinet acquired XDN in 2012.
2013Fortinet
Acquired Coyote Point
Fortinet acquired Coyote Point. Fortinet acquired Coyote Point in 2013.
2014Walmart
Doug McMillon Becomes CEO
Doug McMillon, who started as an hourly associate in 1984, becomes CEO.
2015Fortinet
Acquired Meru Networks
Fortinet acquired Meru Networks. Fortinet acquired Meru Networks in 2015.
2016Walmart
Jet.com Acquisition
Walmart buys Jet.com for about $3.3 billion to strengthen its U.S. ecommerce team.
2018Walmart
Flipkart Investment
Walmart acquires a majority stake in Flipkart for about $16 billion.
2019Fortinet
Security Fabric Expansion
Fortinet broadened from firewalls into integrated secure networking, endpoint, cloud, and operations products.
2024Fortinet
Lacework and Next DLP Acquisitions
Fortinet bought cloud-security firm Lacework and data-loss-prevention vendor Next DLP.
2024Walmart
VIZIO Acquisition
Walmart completes its $2.3 billion purchase of smart-TV maker VIZIO to expand its advertising business.
2025Fortinet
Service Revenue Reaches Two-Thirds of Sales
FY2025 service revenue reached $4.5812B, or 67 percent of total revenue.
2026Fortinet
Refresh-Driven Acceleration
Q2 2026 revenue rose 26% to $2.05B and 2026 revenue guidance was raised to $8.02-$8.18B.
2026Walmart
John Furner Becomes CEO
John Furner succeeds Doug McMillon as President and CEO effective February 1, 2026; David Guggina takes over Walmart U.S.
2026Walmart
Q2 FY27 Results
Walmart reports Q2 FY27 revenue of $187.9 billion, up 5.9%, and raises full-year sales and operating income guidance.
Acquisitions
Fortinet
- Everest2025Undisclosed
- Lacework2024Undisclosed
- Next DLP2024Undisclosed
- ShieldX2021Undisclosed
- Sken.Ai2021Undisclosed
- OPAQ Networks2020Undisclosed
Questions about Fortinet vs Walmart
Who is the CEO of Fortinet, Inc. and Walmart Inc.?
Fortinet, Inc. is led by Ken Xie and Walmart Inc. is led by John Furner. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Fortinet, Inc. founded vs Walmart Inc.?
Walmart Inc. was founded in 1962 — 38 years before Fortinet, Inc., which was founded in 2000. Walmart Inc.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Fortinet, Inc..
How many employees does Fortinet, Inc. have compared to Walmart Inc.?
Fortinet, Inc. employs approximately 15,109 people, while Walmart Inc. employs approximately 2,100,000. Walmart Inc. has the larger workforce at 2,100,000 employees, compared to Fortinet, Inc.'s 15,109. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Fortinet, Inc. and Walmart Inc. headquartered?
Both Fortinet, Inc. and Walmart Inc. are headquartered in United States, meaning they operate under the same primary regulatory and tax environment.
Who founded Fortinet, Inc. and Walmart Inc.?
Fortinet, Inc. was founded by Ken Xie, Michael Xie. Walmart Inc. was founded by Sam Walton.
Which company has a longer operating history — Fortinet, Inc. or Walmart Inc.?
Walmart Inc. has been operating for approximately 64 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Fortinet, Inc. has been in operation for around 26 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Fortinet vs Walmart overview