Dietmar Hopp

Dietmar Hopp is a German billionaire software entrepreneur. He was one of the founders of SAP SE in 1972 with other former IBM employees Hans Werner Hector, Klaus Tschira, Claus Wellenreuther and Hasso Plattner.

Dietmar Hopp left IBM with four colleagues in 1972 to launch German software company SAP (Systems, Applications, Products).
He served as co-CEO from 1988, the year SAP went public, to 1998 and then as chairman of the supervisory board until 2003.
In 1996, he transferred most of his SAP shares to a foundation. Those shares are included in his net worth calculation, as he still controls them.
That entity, Dietmar Hopp Stiftung, supports sports, medicine, education and social programs, and has distributed over $700 million since its start.
He is the main financial backer of TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, a soccer club that plays in the First Bundesliga, the top division of Germany’s league system.

Dietmar Hopp SAP SE