Oracle vs SAP: Founders, CEOs and History
Oracle was founded in 1977 by Lawrence Joseph Ellison, Robert Nimrod Miner, Edward A. Oates and is led by Clay Magouyrk and Mike Sicilia. SAP was founded in 1972 by Dietmar Hopp, Hasso Plattner, Hans-Werner Hector and is led by Christian Klein.
Company facts
Founders
Oracle
Lawrence Joseph Ellison
Oracle possesses arguably the most aggressive, intensely competitive, and controversial founding story in the entire history of Silicon Valley, rooted entirely in a CIA contract and driven by arguably the most competitive billionaire in American business histo…
Robert Nimrod Miner
Bob Miner co-founded Oracle and served as the central technical architect behind the company's early database products. While Ellison drove sales and strategy, Miner focused on making the software work for demanding customers.
Edward A. Oates
Ed Oates co-founded Oracle in 1977 and played an important role in the company's early technical and product formation. He helped the young company take relational database concepts and present them in an usable, commercially credible way.
SAP
Dietmar Hopp
Dietmar Hopp is one of SAP's five co-founders. After leaving IBM in 1972, he helped build the company's first real-time financial accounting software for chemical maker ICI. He served as co-CEO of SAP from 1988 to 1998 and later sat on the Supervisory Board.
Hasso Plattner
Hasso Plattner is the SAP co-founder most closely tied to its technology roadmap, from R/3 to the in-memory HANA database.
Hans-Werner Hector
Hans-Werner Hector is one of SAP's five co-founders. He worked on the company's early software and later served on its Executive Board. He co-founded the Hector Foundation, which funds science, medical research and education for gifted children in Germany.
Klaus Tschira
Klaus Tschira (1940-2015) was one of SAP's five co-founders and a long-serving member of its Executive Board and later its Supervisory Board.
Claus Wellenreuther
Claus Wellenreuther is one of SAP's five co-founders. He contributed to the early financial accounting software that became the RF module, SAP's first product. He left SAP in 1980 for health reasons.
CEOs and their tenures
Oracle
- Hilary Maxson
Chief Financial Officer
CFO presenting Oracle's FY2027 guidance of at least $90 billion in revenue on the September 2026 earnings call.
Source - Larry Ellison1977–present
Co-founder, Chairman and Chief Technology Officer
Led Oracle as CEO from 1977 to 2014 and has since served as chairman and CTO, directing database and OCI technology strategy. Owns roughly 40% of Oracle shares.
Source - Safra Catz2014–2025
Executive Vice Chair (CEO 2014-2025)
Served as co-CEO from 2014 and sole CEO from 2019 until September 2025, when she became executive vice chair of the board.
Source - Clay Magouyrk2025–present
Co-Chief Executive Officer
Previously president of Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, where he led the OCI build-out from its early engineering team. Named co-CEO on September 22, 2025 with responsibility tied to Oracle's AI infrastructure expansion.
Source - Mike Sicilia2025–present
Co-Chief Executive Officer
Previously president of Oracle Industries, overseeing industry applications including Oracle Health. Named co-CEO on September 22, 2025.
Source
SAP
- Jennifer Morgan2019–2020
Chief Executive Officer
Chief executive of SAP from 2019 to 2020.
Source - Christian Klein2020–present
Chief Executive Officer
Under Klein, cloud revenue grew from ~$9.15 billion (EUR 8.1 billion) in 2020 to ~$23.7 billion (EUR 21.0 billion) in 2025, and SAP's strategy narrowed to cloud ERP, data and Business AI.
Source - Dominik Asam2023–present
Chief Financial Officer
CFO and Executive Board member since March 2023, responsible for finance during SAP's cloud transition and restructuring.
Source
Timeline: Oracle and SAP side by side
1972SAP
SAP is founded
Five former IBM employees founded SAP to build real-time standard business software.
1977Oracle
Oracle Founded
Larry Ellison, Bob Miner, and Ed Oates founded the company that became Oracle.
1992SAP
SAP R/3 launches
R/3 brought client-server ERP to a broader global enterprise market.
1994Oracle
Acquired Rdb
Oracle acquired Rdb in 1994.
2010Oracle
Sun Microsystems Acquisition
Oracle acquired Sun Microsystems, adding Java, Solaris, and hardware assets.
2015SAP
S/4HANA launches
S/4HANA became the foundation for SAP's next-generation ERP roadmap.
2020SAP
Christian Klein becomes sole CEO
Christian Klein became sole chief executive of SAP SE in April 2020 after six months as co-CEO.
2022Oracle
Cerner Acquisition Completed
Oracle completed the Cerner acquisition and expanded into healthcare data systems.
2023SAP
Joule announced
SAP introduced Joule as a generative AI assistant for enterprise applications.
2025Oracle
Clay Magouyrk and Mike Sicilia Named CEOs
Oracle promoted Clay Magouyrk and Mike Sicilia to Chief Executive Officers; Safra Catz became Executive Vice Chair.
2025SAP
Cloud revenue reaches ~$23.8B (EUR 21.023B)
SAP's 2025 results showed cloud revenue, backlog, and predictable revenue becoming central to the model.
2026Oracle
$67.357B FY2026 Revenue
Oracle reported record FY2026 total revenue of $67.357 billion.
2026Oracle
Q1 FY2027: $664B RPO
Oracle reported Q1 FY2027 revenue of $19.3B and RPO of $664B, and completed a $20B at-the-market common stock sale.
2026SAP
Dremio and Prior Labs acquisitions close
SAP completed the Dremio and Prior Labs acquisitions in July 2026 to strengthen Business Data Cloud and AI on structured data.
Acquisitions
Oracle
- Cerner2022$28.3B
- NetSuite2016$9.3B
- Sun Microsystems2010$7.4B
- BEA Systems2008$8.5B
- Hyperion Solutions2007$3.3B
- Siebel Systems2006$5.8B
SAP
- Dremio2026Undisclosed
- Prior Labs2026Undisclosed
- WalkMe2024$1.5B
- Qualtrics2019$8B
- Concur Technologies2014$8.3B
- SuccessFactors2012$3.4B
Questions about Oracle vs SAP
Who is the CEO of Oracle Corporation and SAP SE?
Oracle Corporation is led by Clay Magouyrk and Mike Sicilia and SAP SE is led by Christian Klein. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Oracle Corporation founded vs SAP SE?
SAP SE was founded in 1972 — 5 years before Oracle Corporation, which was founded in 1977. SAP SE's longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Oracle Corporation.
How many employees does Oracle Corporation have compared to SAP SE?
Oracle Corporation employs approximately 141,000 people, while SAP SE employs approximately 112,019. Oracle Corporation has the larger workforce at 141,000 employees, compared to SAP SE's 112,019. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Oracle Corporation and SAP SE headquartered?
Oracle Corporation is headquartered in United States and SAP SE is headquartered in Germany. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded Oracle Corporation and SAP SE?
Oracle Corporation was founded by Lawrence Joseph Ellison, Robert Nimrod Miner, Edward A. Oates. SAP SE was founded by Dietmar Hopp, Hasso Plattner, Hans-Werner Hector, Klaus Tschira, Claus Wellenreuther.
Which company has a longer operating history — Oracle Corporation or SAP SE?
SAP SE has been operating for approximately 54 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Oracle Corporation has been in operation for around 49 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Oracle vs SAP overview