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Facts 25/11/2025 22:43

Judy Faulkner: The Billionaire Tech Entrepreneur Pledging 99% of Her Fortune to Philanthropy

At 82 years old, American businesswoman Judy Faulkner is making one of the most remarkable philanthropic commitments of our time. Although she is not a household name, if you have ever set foot in a U.S. hospital, the chances are high that her work — via the medical‑records software company Epic Systems — had a hand in your care. Founded by Faulkner, Epic Systems is the platform through which more than 325 million patients’ records are processed across the United States. Wikipedia+2Fortune+2
Now, with an estimated fortune of about USD 7.8 billion, Faulkner has legally pledged to give away 99% of her wealth — not as a vague promise for “someday,” but as a concrete, current plan already in motion. Fortune+1

From Modest Origins to Industry Influence

Faulkner founded Epic Systems in 1979 (originally named Human Services Computing) in Verona, Wisconsin. Wikipedia+1 Over decades, she built Epic into a privately‑held powerhouse in healthcare‑IT — refusing to go public, avoiding outside investors, and maintaining control of the company herself. The Economic Times+1 Her 43% stake in the company has enabled her to accumulate her substantial wealth, while at the same time growing a company that now serves the records of hundreds of millions of patients. Yahoo Tài Chính+1
Despite her success, she has described herself as an “accidental CEO” — someone who entered leadership without the typical Silicon Valley trappings, and one who consciously avoided the lavish lifestyle often associated with billionaires. The Economic Times

The Philanthropic Turn

Faulkner signed the The Giving Pledge in 2015, publicly declaring:

“My goal in pledging 99% of my assets to philanthropy is to help others with roots—food, warmth, shelter, healthcare, education—so they too can have wings.” Forbes+1
Through this pledge, she committed to direct nearly all her wealth toward charitable causes rather than personal accumulation.

To operationalize this commitment, Faulkner and her husband, Gordon Faulkner (a retired pediatrician), established the family foundation Roots & Wings Foundation in 2020. Roots & Wings+1 The foundation focuses on four main areas: basic needs (food, housing, warm clothes), early learning, safety & justice, and health — all aimed at helping low‑income children and families reach their potential. Roots & Wings+1

Scale and Ambition

While many philanthropic pledges remain promises, Faulkner’s giving is already substantial and structured. As of late 2022, the foundation reported assets exceeding USD 287.6 million. philanthropynewsdigest.org
Moreover, according to reports, Roots & Wings has disbursed tens of millions of dollars across hundreds of nonprofits — and is projecting annual giving of around USD 100 million in the coming years. Forbes Australia+1
In other words, her intention is not to drift toward giving at some vague point in the far future — but to actively channel funds at a high rate, now and in the years ahead.

Why This Matters

Faulkner’s decision matters on multiple levels:

  • Healthcare impact: Through Epic, she already influenced how care is delivered; now through philanthropy, she is influencing how equity and access are addressed.

  • Leadership model: She constructed success on her terms, avoiding public markets and massive M&A. That independence gives her flexibility to reallocate wealth on her own schedule.

  • Philanthropy with purpose: Instead of simply supporting causes, she built a foundation anchored in “roots and wings” — providing foundational supports so that children and families can lift off.

  • Legacy focus: By pledging almost all of her assets, she shifts the narrative away from accumulation to redistribution — setting an example for wealth and responsibility at the end of a long career.

The Bigger Picture

Her action also ties into a broader trend of ultra‑high‑net‑worth individuals embracing large‑scale philanthropy, especially via The Giving Pledge. Wikipedia+1
Yet what sets Faulkner apart is the combination of scale, timing, and intent: She is giving away nearly all her fortune, doing so at an advanced age while still in control of her company, and directing the funds to structural supports (healthcare, education, housing) rather than one‑off donations.

In Summary

Judy Faulkner may not be a household name, but her impact is wide — across hospitals, clinics, children’s programs, and philanthropic frameworks. By committing 99% of her USD 7.8 billion fortune to charity and building the Roots & Wings Foundation to operationalize that commitment, she exemplifies how wealth can be repurposed for social good. Her origin story — building a healthcare IT giant from a basement and keeping it private — and her decision to redirect its rewards toward others, underscore a message: real impact doesn’t always require a spotlight, but it does require intentional action.

Her journey — from software engineer, to founder, to philanthropist — highlights a different narrative for success: one in which roots are strengthened so that wings may follow.

Sources

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