Judith Faulkner

Judith R. Faulkner (born August 11, 1943) is an American billionaire businesswoman who is the CEO and founder of Epic Systems, a healthcare software company located in Verona, Wisconsin.^[2] Faulkner founded Epic Systems in 1979, with the original name of Human Services Computing.^[3] In 2013, Forbes called her "the most powerful woman in healthcare",^[4] and as of July 2024, estimated her net worth at US$7.8 billion.^[5]

Judith R. Faulkner
Born	(1943-08-11) August 11, 1943 (age 81)
Nationality	American
Other names	Judy Faulkner
Alma mater	Dickinson College University of Wisconsin–Madison
Occupation	Healthcare software entrepreneur
Organization	Epic Systems
Political party	Democratic[1]
Spouse	Gordon Faulkner
Children	3

Early life and education

Faulkner was born in August 1943^[6][7] to Louis and Del Greenfield.^[8] Faulkner's parents inspired her early interest in healthcare; her father, Louis, was a pharmacist, and her mother, Del, was the director of Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility.^[8] She was raised in the Erlton neighborhood of Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and graduated from Moorestown Friends School in 1961.^[9][10] She received a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Dickinson College and a master's degree in computer science from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.^[8]

Career

In 1979, shortly after receiving her master's degree, Faulkner co-founded Human Services Computing, with Dr. John Greist.^[8] Human Services Computing, which later became Epic Systems, began in a basement at 2020 University Avenue in Madison, Wisconsin.^[8] The company was started with a $70,000 investment from friends and family but has never taken investment from venture capital or private equity and remains a privately held company.^[11] In fact, Faulkner prides herself in the fact that Epic is homegrown; they have never acquired another company,^[8][12] and Faulkner has stated they will never go public.^[13] Epic Systems now holds the medical records of over 325 million people.^[14] Faulkner and her family currently own 43 percent of Epic Systems.^[15]

Awards and recognition

• Forbes' America's Top 50 Women In Tech 2018^[5]
• Forbes ranked her as the 55th most powerful woman in the world in 2023.^[16]

Personal life

Faulkner lives in Madison, Wisconsin.^[5][3] She is married to Dr. Gordon Faulkner, a pediatrician,^[17] and they have three children.^[5][17]

In 2015, Faulkner signed The Giving Pledge, committing 99% of her assets to philanthropy.^[18] In 2019 Judy and Gordon founded the Roots & Wings Foundation,^[19] which funds nonprofit organizations that serve low-income children and families.