Founder Profile
Dietmar Hopp
Last reviewed: October 2026 · By Swet Parvadiya
Who is Dietmar Hopp?
Dietmar Hopp is a founder of SAP SE, which was founded in 1972 with Hasso Plattner, Hans-Werner Hector, Klaus Tschira and Claus Wellenreuther.
- Company founded
- SAP SE
- Founded
- 1972
- Co-founders
- Hasso Plattner, Hans-Werner Hector, Klaus Tschira and Claus Wellenreuther
Background
Studied communications engineering at the University of Karlsruhe and worked as a systems consultant at IBM Germany before co-founding SAP in 1972.
Founding Story
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. Outside SAP he is known for the Dietmar Hopp Foundation and his backing of football club TSG Hoffenheim.
Dietmar Hopp was born in 1940 in Heidelberg.
Hopp was born on April 26, 1940. His co-founders, all former IBM employees, were Hans-Werner Hector, Klaus Tschira, Claus Wellenreuther and Hasso Plattner. He owns the German Bundesliga football club TSG Hoffenheim.