Health IT is a booming industry. EHRs, telemedicine, clinical software and more; technology is now integral to healthcare. As the demand for this technology grows, many of the people behind the companies and solutions in health IT have become millionaires and even billionaires.
Here are seven of the wealthiest people who have built their fortunes in the healthcare technology world.
1. Elizabeth Holmes, founder and CEO of Theranos (Palo Alto, Calif.). Though Theranos may be embroiled in controversy, Ms. Holmes remains a billionaire. As of Feb. 12, she has a net worth of $3.6 billion, according to Forbes. She is listed sixth on the Forbes list of "America's Richest Entrepreneurs Under 40."
2. Judy Faulkner, founder and CEO of Epic Systems (Madison, Wis.). Ms. Faulkner has a net worth of $2.4 billion as of Feb. 12, according to Forbes. At No. 80, she is the only person on Forbes 2015 ranking of "The Richest People in Tech" to specifically work in health IT. In June 2015, she pledged 99 percent of her wealth to philanthropy through the Giving Pledge.
3. Phillip Ragon, CEO and founder of InterSystems (Cambridge, Mass.). As of Feb. 12, Mr. Ragon has a $1.5 billion net worth, according to Forbes. He founded InterSystems in 1978.
4. Neal Patterson, CEO and cofounder of Cerner (Kansas City, Mo.). As of Feb. 12, Mr. Patterson has a net worth of $1.45 billion, according to Forbes. He is listed at 1,006 on the 2015 Forbes list of "The World's Billionaires."
5. Cliff Illig, cofounder of Cerner (Kansas City, Mo.). Mr. Illig is the second billionaire to be connected with Cerner. He has a $1.15 billion net worth, according to Forbes. He achieved billionaire status in 2014.
6. Eric Friedman, cofounder and CTO of Fitbit (San Francisco). Activity tracker company Fitbit is finding a place in health IT, particularly as health data becomes more valuable in understanding population health. Mr. Friedman founded the company with James Park in 2007. Mr. Friedman has not hit billionaire status, but he has a net worth of $660 million, according to Forbes.
7. James Park (cofounder and CEO of Fitbit (San Francisco). Mr. Park, a Harvard drop out and serial entrepreneur, also has a net worth of $660 million, according to Forbes. He, along with Fitbit cofounder, are listed at No. 29 on the Forbes list of "America's Richest Entrepreneurs Under 40."