Judith Faulkner
Born 1943 · Age 82
Founder and CEO of Epic Systems, a leading healthcare software company. Pioneer of patient-centric electronic health records and a major philanthropist.
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Life & Career Timeline
Birth of Judith R. Greenfield (Judy Faulkner)
Born Judith R. Greenfield to Louis and Del Greenfield in 1943. Father was a pharmacist; mother directed Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility.
Graduated Moorestown Friends School
Completed secondary education at Moorestown Friends School (Cherry Hill, NJ).
Earned BS in Mathematics from Dickinson College
Completed a bachelor's (BS) degree in mathematics at Dickinson College.
Earned MS in Computer Science from UW–Madison
Received a master's degree in computer science from the University of Wisconsin–Madison (MS '67).
Began teaching computer science (UW System)
Worked as a computer science instructor in the UW System (served as a faculty/teacher early in career). Year is approximate (post-MS).
Early healthcare software development
Worked as a healthcare software developer and created one of the first databases organized around a patient's record (approximate timing in 1970s prior to founding Epic).
Co-founded Human Services Computing (later Epic Systems)
Co-founded Human Services Computing with Dr. John Greist in a basement at 2020 University Ave, Madison. Company would later be renamed Epic Systems.
Started Epic with two part-time assistants
Initial team was very small — often described as 'one-and-a-half employees' or two part-time assistants in the early basement startup.
Rebranding: Human Services Computing → Epic Systems (approx.)
Human Services Computing later became Epic Systems. Exact rebrand year not specified; placed here as early-1980s.
Created foundation mechanism to keep Epic private
Reported in 2007 that Faulkner funded a foundation/structure to help keep Epic privately held and independent in perpetuity.
Service on Health Information Technology Policy Committee (approx.)
Faulkner served for nearly five years on the U.S. federal Health IT Policy Committee and its Privacy & Security subcommittee (exact years not specified; event recorded here as ~2009 mid-point).
Major Forbes profile published (March 2012)
Forbes published a prominent profile titled 'Judy Faulkner: Health Care's Low-Key Billionaire' (March 7, 2012).
Named 'Most Powerful Woman in Healthcare' by Forbes
Forbes called Faulkner 'the most powerful woman in healthcare' following a major profile/interview.
Signed The Giving Pledge
Publicly committed to donate 99% of her assets to philanthropy by joining The Giving Pledge.
Epic became the EHR vendor for many top US health systems
By mid-2010s Epic counted clients including Cleveland Clinic, Johns Hopkins, Cedars-Sinai, Kaiser Permanente, CVS Health and Walgreens among users of its systems (UW article coverage c.2016).
Epic: more than 9,500 employees and largest Wisconsin tech firm
By ~2016 Epic had over 9,500 employees and was described as the largest tech-based firm in Wisconsin.
Epic endowed three faculty positions at UW–Madison CS
Epic endowed multiple faculty positions in the UW–Madison computer science department (mentioned in UW alumni coverage; article dated 2016).
Forbes/Bloomberg earlier net worth & billionaire recognition (2016)
In 2016 lists and coverage Faulkner was placed among the world's billionaires; CEOConnection in 2016 cited a net worth of ~$2.4B (rank #722 on Forbes 2016 list).
UW Distinguished Alumni article / recognition
UW–Madison published a Distinguished Alumni piece highlighting Faulkner; sources list UW honorary doctorate(s) and recognition by the university (article dated Nov 29, 2016).
Public stance: Epic has never acquired another company
Faulkner has repeatedly emphasized Epic's homegrown approach — all software developed in-house; the company has never made acquisitions (stated publicly in interviews, e.g., 2017).
Capital Times interview: 'Her way' (April 12, 2017)
The Capital Times published a long-form interview (April 12, 2017) discussing Faulkner's values and leadership of Epic.
Named to Forbes' America's Top 50 Women In Tech (2018)
Forbes included Faulkner in its America's Top 50 Women In Tech list for 2018.
Epic reported revenue of $2.7 billion (2018 figure reported 2020)
CFI.co and other outlets reported an Epic revenue figure of roughly $2.7B for 2018 (reported in later articles).
Founded Roots & Wings Foundation (with husband Gordon)
Judy and Gordon Faulkner founded the Roots & Wings Foundation to fund nonprofits serving low-income children and families.
Publicly said Epic would refuse buyout offers (e.g., Apple) and stay private
Business Insider and other outlets reported Faulkner's stance she would not consider buyout offers (notably from Apple) and intends to keep Epic private.
Epic culture milestone: employee benefits (sabbatical after 5 years)
Epic's culture includes unique perks such as a one-month sabbatical with airfare and per diem after five years of service (described in CFI coverage).
Spoke at Forbes Healthcare Summit (2020)
Participated in Forbes' Healthcare Summit and other speaking engagements discussing EHRs, data privacy, and healthcare transformation.
Forbes profile: 'The Richest Woman You've Never Heard Of' (coverage)
Forbes published extended coverage on Faulkner and Epic, increasing public awareness of her influence and wealth.
Epic revenue reported (2023 figure cited in sources)
Multiple outlets referenced Epic's large revenue scale; sources (Mabumbe) cite $4.9B in sales for 2023 (company not public; figure reported by media).
Forbes ranks her 55th most powerful woman in the world (2023)
Forbes' World's Most Powerful Women list placed Faulkner at #55 in 2023.
Spoke at Forbes 2023 Healthcare Summit (Digital Trailblazers)
Participated in the 2023 Forbes Healthcare Summit discussing initiatives to transform whole-person care.
Epic announces/featured for major AI push (60 AI tools)
Forbes and other outlets reported Epic building a suite of ~60 AI tools it planned to sell to hospitals (coverage dated Dec 12, 2023).
Epic holds medical records of over 325 million people
Wikipedia and press reported Epic Systems stores/holds EHRs for over ~325 million individuals worldwide (figure cited as of 2024).
Public plan to keep Epic private & employee-owned forever (Forbes coverage)
Media coverage (Forbes Mar 21, 2024) detailed Faulkner's plan to ensure Epic remains independent and employee-owned in perpetuity.
Net worth estimated at US$7.8 billion (July 2024)
Wikipedia cites Forbes' July 2024 net worth estimate for Judy Faulkner as US$7.8B.
Coverage of family foundation granting ~$100M/year announced (Forbes Oct 2, 2024)
Forbes reported the Roots & Wings Foundation, led by Faulkner's daughter Shana Dall’Osto, would soon grant around $100M to nonprofits each year.
Spoke at Forbes Healthcare Summit: 'The Future Of Care Delivery' (Oct 19, 2024)
Participated in a panel/interview at the Forbes Healthcare Summit discussing future care delivery alongside other healthcare leaders.
Net worth reported ~US$7.7 billion (Feb/Jan 2025 media estimates)
Multiple media outlets (BusinessWomen, Mabumbe) estimated Faulkner's net worth at about $7.7B in early 2025.
Key Achievement Ages
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