Do good and throw into the sea! It seems that another billionaire founder is trying to be a good Samaritan. Judy Faulkner is one of them, the CEO of Epic Systems, has now pledged to donate almost 99 percent of all her wealth to the Bill Gates Giving Pledge.
Who is Judy Faulkner?
Judy Faulkner founded medical-record software provider Epic Systems in a Wisconsin basement in 1979. Judith is a computer programmer and CEO of the $5.7 billion (2024 sales) company, of which she owns an estimated 43%. Epic supports the medical records of over 250 million patients and is used by top medical centres such as Johns Hopkins and Mayo Clinic.
About Epic Systems
The company has never raised venture capital or made an acquisition, and it develops all its software in-house. Faulkner signed the Giving Pledge in 2015 and has agreed to eventually give 99% of her assets to a private charitable foundation. In 2024, she told Forbes that she was regularly selling around $100 million of her Epic shares a year back to the company, with proceeds going to her charitable foundation, Roots & Wings.
Judy Faulkner’s Other Philanthropic Ventures
Faulkner, along with her husband, launched Roots & Wings to provide grants to non-profits dedicated to improving the health, education, and well-being of children and families. Since its inception, the foundation has grown into a major philanthropic vehicle: in 2020, it granted $15 million to 115 organizations, and by 2024, it projected $67 million in grants to 305 non-profits nationwide.
Faulkner intends to steadily expand giving, aiming to distribute $100 million annually by 2027. To responsibly manage the sale of her non-voting Epic shares without destabilizing the company, she established a trust that governs these transactions. This planning ensures that her philanthropic mission can continue without affecting Epic’s stability or long-term growth.
Judy Faulkner’s Creative Work Policy
Faulkner has been a little creative in her work policy. For Instance, Epic Systems’ 1,670-acre campus in Wisconsin is far from a conventional office environment. Its 28 buildings feature fantastical themes ranging from Harry Potter and Alice in Wonderland to The Wizard of Oz, organized into mini-campuses such as Prairie Campus, Wizards Academy, and Storybook Campus.
Inside, employees help source artwork and whimsical installations, including chocolate chip trails leading to a mock chocolate factory, hanging bridges to treehouses, and magical sculptures scattered across the grounds. It’s based on the idea that creativity, play, and aesthetic engagement foster learning and productivity, making the workplace not just a location for tasks but a space for inspiration and collaboration.
