This billionaire CEO says not getting an MBA was a ‘really good thing’

Judy Faulkner’s views echo a growing chorus of skepticism among top global business leaders. (Representational image: Unsplash)

An American billionaire CEO has recently shared that skipping business school was one of the best decisions she ever made. Despite not having an MBA, Judy Faulkner founded software firm Epic Systems in her basement; it generates an estimated $5.7 billion in annual revenue. The 82-year-old herself is worth $7.8 billion.

“I never got an MBA, which I think is a really good thing,” Faulkner told CNBC. "They would have taught me, ‘Here’s how you do venture capital.’ We didn’t do it. ‘Here’s how you go public.’ We didn’t do it. ‘Here’s how you do budgets.’ We don’t have budgets. We say, ‘If you need it, buy it. If you don’t need it, don’t buy it.’”

Unlike Apple CEO Tim Cook or GM’s Mary Barra—both MBA graduates—Faulkner charted her own path, guided by a set of 10 business “commandments” that include: “Do not go public,” “Do not acquire or be acquired,” and “Software must work.” These principles are emblazoned across Epic’s sprawling 1,670-acre campus. The company now powers many of the top hospitals in the US, Fortune reported.

Faulkner’s views echo a growing chorus of skepticism among top global business leaders. World's richest person Elon Musk has criticised the “MBA-ization of America,” while Shark Tank's Mark Cuban calls MBAs “overrated.” PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel avoids hiring MBA grads, describing them as “high extrovert/low conviction people.”

Still, over 40 percent of Fortune 1000 CEOs hold MBAs, and many credit their degrees with shaping their leadership. “My experiences on campus changed my life and accelerated my career,” said one CEO in 2024.

For Faulkner, however, the lesson is clear: business success doesn’t always come with a diploma. Sometimes, it starts with a basement, a bold idea, and the refusal to follow the rules.