Prime Highlights:
- Judy Faulkner, 82, CEO of Epic Systems, has pledged to donate the majority of her $7.8 billion fortune to charity, redirecting profits from her company shares instead of keeping them.
- Known for her unconventional leadership, Faulkner combines business with creativity, holding “work church” meetings and grammar lessons for her employees.
Key Facts:
- Faulkner owns 43% of Epic Systems, one of the largest private tech companies in the U.S., which generates $5.7 billion in annual revenue.
- Her family foundation, Roots & Wings, has distributed millions to nonprofits supporting children and families, and aims to give $100 million annually by 2027.
Key Background
At 82, Judy Faulkner, CEO of Epic Systems, owns 43% of the health software company, giving her a $7.8 billion fortune, but she has never used any of it for herself. Instead, she channels the profits from selling her nonvoting shares into charitable causes, showing that wealth can drive social impact.
Faulkner signed Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge in 2015 and committed to donating 99% of her fortune. She uses Roots & Wings, a family foundation she created with her husband, to fund nonprofits that support low-income children and families across the United States.
In 2020, Roots & Wings granted $15 million to 115 organizations focused on health, education, and family well-being. In fiscal 2004, the foundation gave away an estimated $67 million to 305 groups. Faulkner plans to increase giving steadily, aiming to reach $100 million annually as early as 2027. She set up a trust to manage stock sales carefully, ensuring Epic Systems remains stable while she donates her wealth.
Epic Systems generates $5.7 billion in annual revenue and operates from a 1,670-acre campus in Wisconsin. Faulkner, however, leads in a style that stands out from conventional tech CEOs. She holds quirky “work church” meetings and even runs grammar lessons in her office, blending play, learning, and culture for her 14,000 employees.
Fewer than 200 of the 256 billionaires who have taken the giving pledge pursue it in detail, which makes Faulkner unusually committed. While some tech leaders, including Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, prioritize growing their wealth, Faulkner demonstrates that CEOs can use their success to make a meaningful difference.
Through her philanthropy, unconventional leadership, and trailblazing presence as a female CEO in tech, Judy Faulkner sets an inspiring example of how business leaders can combine innovation, ethics, and social impact.
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