Early Life and Education
David Dean Halbert was born in Abilene, Texas, in 1956. He graduated from Abilene Christian University in 1978 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. Halbert's upbringing and education instilled in him a strong sense of stewardship and a commitment to using his resources effectively.
Rise to Success
Halbert's entrepreneurial journey began with the founding of AdvancePCS in 1987, a pharmacy benefit management company. As Chairman and CEO, he led the company's growth, transforming it into a publicly traded Fortune 250 corporation with over $15 billion in annual revenue. AdvancePCS was later sold to Caremark in 2004 for $7.5 billion. In 2005, he formed Caris Capital. Halbert then founded Caris Life Sciences in 2008, initially acquiring Molecular Profiling Institute (MPI), and expanding it into a major player in precision medicine. In June 2025, Halbert became a billionaire when Caris Life Sciences went public.
Key Business Strategies
Halbert's success stems from his ability to identify opportunities in the healthcare sector and his focus on innovation. At AdvancePCS, he expanded the company through strategic acquisitions and a focus on improving healthcare while reducing costs. At Caris Life Sciences, he pioneered the use of gene sequencing and AI to advance early disease detection.
Philanthropy
Halbert and his family established the Caris Foundation in 2002, which supports impoverished communities by providing for their basic needs. The foundation has been involved in significant initiatives, including a $98.5 million investment by USAID to bolster Haiti's health system. In 2014, Halbert donated $15 million through the Caris Foundation to Abilene Christian University for the Halbert-Walling Research Center.
