Eric Lefkofsky

Current Position

Title: Founder & CEO Company: Tempus AI, Inc. (NASDAQ: TEM) Location: Chicago, Illinois

Professional Background

Eric Lefkofsky is an American billionaire entrepreneur and healthcare technology innovator who has founded or co-founded multiple billion-dollar companies across diverse sectors. His career trajectory spans from early e-commerce ventures through major tech platforms to leading a healthcare AI transformation. Born September 13, 1969, Lefkofsky graduated from the University of Michigan with honors (1991) and earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan Law School (1993). His entrepreneurial journey began immediately after law school when he and college friend Brad Keywell borrowed capital from relatives to purchase Brandon Apparel, establishing the foundation for a decades-long partnership in building scalable technology companies.

Lefkofsky's most significant public success came as co-founder of Groupon (2008), where he served as CEO from 2013-2016 before transitioning to Chairman. However, his most mission-driven venture began in 2015 when his wife's breast cancer diagnosis catalyzed a fundamental shift in his focus. Observing the disconnect between available technology and clinical practice, he founded Tempus (Tempus Labs) to apply artificial intelligence and data science to precision medicine. Tempus went public on Nasdaq on June 14, 2024 (ticker: TEM), marking Lefkofsky's fourth IPO as a founder. As of early 2025, he retained approximately 27% equity ownership with controlling voting power of 59.9% through dual-class share structure.

Beyond Tempus, Lefkofsky maintains active leadership roles across venture capital (as co-managing partner of Lightbank, founded 2010 with Brad Keywell) and cultural institutions. His influence extends to healthcare innovation discourse, where he has become a recognized voice on precision medicine implementation, healthcare economics, and AI's role in clinician decision-making. Recent recognition includes inclusion in OncoDaily's "100 Most Influential People in Oncology" (2025) and selection as Board Chair of the Art Institute of Chicago (2024).

Career Timeline

Education

• Juris Doctor, University of Michigan Law School (1993)
• B.S. (with honors), University of Michigan (1991)
• High School Diploma, Southfield-Lathrup High School (1987)

Public Presence

Social Media

Note: All profiles are publicly accessible. LinkedIn and X show regular professional engagement; personal website hosts blog posts on healthcare, entrepreneurship, and technology.

Published Writings

• "The Black Hole" — Personal blog (October 2024) - Analysis of healthcare cost escalation ($4.8 trillion annually)
• "The Magic of MMM's" — Personal blog (December 2024) - Discussion of multimodal models in AI
• "Thoughts on Generative AI" — Personal blog (June 2023)
• "A Look Back" — Personal blog (June 2025)
• "Meet Olivia" — Personal blog (September 2024)
• "The Middle" — Personal blog (July 2024)
• "Putting Waste to Work" — Personal blog (October 2017)
• "Death to Cancer, Byte by Byte" — Personal blog (June 2017)
• "I wonder if…" — Personal blog (April 2017)
• "A little more empathy" — Personal blog (January 2017)
• "The COSMOS Connection" — Personal blog (December 2016)
• "Lefkofsky startup takes on cancer" — Crain's Chicago Business (September 2016)

Public Speaking

• "Transforming Big Data into Actionable Information" — PMWC conference (date not specified)
• Multiple appearances on CNBC's "Squawk Box" discussing Tempus IPO and healthcare AI (2024)
• Forbes Talks appearances discussing company building, healthcare data, and growth (2024)
• Podcast appearances: "Invest in Progress" (AI in healthcare), FYI podcast (career journey from Groupon to healthcare)
• Speaking fees: $30,000-$50,000 for live events (sourced through AAE Speakers Bureau, Technology Speakers, All American Speakers)

Communication Style

Tone: Visionary yet pragmatic; accessible and mission-driven; intellectually rigorous but non-technical in expression Recurring themes: Healthcare economics and waste reduction; precision medicine and data-driven clinical decision-making; AI's practical applications in complex systems; entrepreneurship and startup scaling; personal motivation as driver of mission Notable positions: Advocates for fundamental restructuring of healthcare data infrastructure; emphasizes harmonization of medical records across hospitals as prerequisite for AI breakthroughs; positions cancer treatment as data problem solvable through technology

Eric Lefkofsky's communication style reflects his evolution from pure technology entrepreneur to healthcare mission-driven executive. His writing is marked by personal narrative framing: he frequently connects systemic healthcare problems to the specific moment his wife's cancer diagnosis revealed the technology gap in clinical practice. In recent blog posts like "The Black Hole," he presents data-driven economic analysis (healthcare costs exceeding $4.8 trillion) while maintaining an accessible, reflective tone that invites reader engagement with the underlying questions rather than prescriptive solutions.

His LinkedIn and X presence shows active engagement with innovation discourse. Posts highlight Tempus operational milestones (2025 revenues of $1.27 billion with 83% growth) alongside strategic positioning of healthcare data challenges, particularly fragmentation and workflow integration barriers. He frames solutions in terms of actionable infrastructure problems: structuring unstructured data, harmonizing records across institutions, and building feedback loops for AI application. Notably, his communication avoids technobabble; instead, he emphasizes the human impact—enabling oncologists to make personalized treatment decisions based on individual molecular profiles rather than population averages. His blog posts employ specific hooks ("Meet Olivia," "The Middle," "The Fix") that suggest case studies or human-centered storytelling within data-driven analysis.

Notable Achievements

• Founded or co-founded six venture-backed technology companies, four of which achieved IPO status (Groupon, Echo Global Logistics, InnerWorkings, Tempus AI)
• Recognized among "The 100 Most Influential People in Oncology" (OncoDaily, 2025)
• Included in Crain's Chicago Business "Who's Who in Chicago Business" (2024)
• Founded Tempus AI, which now partners with 55% of U.S.-based oncologists and maintains over 8 million imaging records and 4 million diagnostic samples in proprietary database
• Successfully navigated Tempus IPO on Nasdaq (June 14, 2024) as fourth founder IPO
• Maintained approximately 27% equity stake and 59.9% voting control in publicly-traded Tempus AI
• Named Board Chair of the Art Institute of Chicago (November 2024)
• Joined The Giving Pledge (2013) with wife Liz, committing to donate more than half of wealth to philanthropy

Key Relationships

Venture Capital & Co-Founding: Brad Keywell (co-founder, Lightbank; co-founder, Groupon, Echo Global Logistics, InnerWorkings)

Board Memberships & Leadership:

• Board Chair, Art Institute of Chicago (since November 2024)
• Board Member, Museum of Science and Industry
• Trustee, Steppenwolf Theatre Company
• Board Member, World Business Chicago; Co-Chair, Technology Council
• Board Member, Northwestern Medicine
• Co-Managing Partner, Lightbank (venture capital) — portfolio includes Groupon, Tempus AI, Fiverr, Udemy, Sprout Social, Boom Technology, SpotHero, BenchPrep

Philanthropic Leadership:

• Co-Chair (with wife Liz), Lefkofsky Family Foundation (founded 2006; funded 50+ organizations)
• Signatory, The Giving Pledge (2013)
• Foundation focus areas: education, women's health, medical research, arts

Healthcare Partnerships (Tempus):

• Recent partnerships announced with NYU Langone Health and Northwestern Medicine (2025)
• Clinical relationships with 55% of U.S.-based oncologists

Family: Wife Liz Lefkofsky (co-chair, Lefkofsky Family Foundation; executive director)

Information Availability Assessment

Public Information Availability: HIGH

Eric Lefkofsky maintains extensive public presence across multiple channels. Tempus AI's publicly-traded status (NASDAQ: TEM) requires SEC disclosures including Form 4 filings, executive compensation details, and business metrics. His personal website (lefkofsky.com) provides regular blog content, career narrative, and media links. LinkedIn and X profiles show consistent professional engagement. He is a frequent speaker at healthcare and technology conferences with recorded appearances available. Media coverage is substantial across healthcare publications (MedCity News, Medical Device Network), business press (Crain's, Chicago Tribune), and tech outlets (TechCrunch, Forbes). However, private life details are minimal and intentionally bounded—public content focuses exclusively on professional work, entrepreneurial philosophy, and healthcare mission. No private social media profiles were found or attempted.