Chad Richison is an American entrepreneur, the self-made founder, President, and CEO of Paycom (NYSE: PAYC), a leading human capital management (HCM) software company. His background is rooted in the American heartland; he was raised on a farm in Tuttle, Oklahoma, a setting that instilled in him the values of hard work and grit.

Richison’s initial career path was marked by perseverance. He was the first person in his family to earn a college degree, graduating from the University of Central Oklahoma (UCO) in 1993 with a B.A. in Mass Communications. Despite admitting he was not a good standardized test-taker (scoring low on the ACT), he excelled in college. He began his career in sales at the global payroll giant ADP before recognizing the immense inefficiency in the traditional payroll and HR model, a realization that spurred him to found his own disruptive venture.

Chad Richison founded Paycom in 1998, returning to Oklahoma at age 27 to launch his vision. His strategic innovation was pioneering the concept of processing payroll and human resources data completely online—an early adoption of the software-as-a-service (SaaS) model for the HR industry. This move revolutionized the historically paper-based, cumbersome payroll process.

Under his leadership as President and CEO, Paycom scaled rapidly, becoming a technology juggernaut in a state traditionally dominated by oil and gas. Paycom's success is built on the concept of employee self-service (ESS) technology, allowing employees to manage their own data, which drastically reduces administrative work for businesses. This platform achieved massive growth, leading to a successful IPO and securing Richison's multi-billion dollar fortune. He is one of only seven billionaires residing in Oklahoma and is the youngest Oklahoman on the list.

Chad Richison is a dedicated philanthropist, focusing his massive giving on education, mental health, and community transformation within Oklahoma. He has donated millions to his alma mater, UCO, and his family foundation supports numerous local causes.

His personal commitment led him to create The Green Shoe Foundation, a non-profit aimed at improving people's well-being through counseling and therapy. His structural social impact is the creation of the largest technology company in Oklahoma, diversifying the state's economy and providing thousands of high-value tech jobs.

Chad Richison maintains the polished, successful style of an Oklahoma-based tech CEO. His attire is consistently professional, favoring tailored suits and a classic aesthetic. His public persona is defined by his grit and drive, proving that a major technology enterprise can be built outside of traditional Silicon Valley hubs.

Residing in Edmond, Oklahoma, his luxury is the immense security and autonomy derived from his multi-billion dollar fortune. His life is defined by his commitment to his home state and his passion for leveraging technology to solve the complex management challenges of the HR and payroll industry.