Dietmar Hopp

Background

Dietmar Hopp was born on April 26, 1940, in Heidelberg and grew up in Hoffenheim, now part of Sinsheim in Baden-Württemberg. He was the youngest of four children and completed his Abitur in Sinsheim in 1959. His early life unfolded in the postwar economic recovery of southwestern Germany, a period in which industrial technology and computing were becoming increasingly important to German businesses.

Hopp played football in the youth setup of his local club, TSG Hoffenheim. He later became closely associated with the club as a financial supporter, linking a personal connection with Hoffenheim to a major long-term sports and regional development project.

Education

After completing his Abitur in Sinsheim, Hopp studied communications engineering at the Technische Hochschule Karlsruhe, now the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. He completed the program in 1965 with the qualification Diplom-Ingenieur. Karlsruhe's technical university belonged to Germany's established engineering tradition and provided training in electrical engineering and communications technology during the period when computer-based data processing was expanding rapidly.

His university education prepared him for work in software development and technical consulting. The combination of engineering training and practical experience at IBM placed him among the specialists who helped move business computing from customized systems toward standardized enterprise software.

Career

Hopp began his professional career at IBM Deutschland in 1966, working first as a system consultant in Mannheim and subsequently in software-related assignments. IBM was the German subsidiary of the major American computer company International Business Machines, whose business systems and mainframe technologies were central to the expansion of commercial data processing in the 1960s. At IBM, Hopp worked with Hasso Plattner, Klaus Tschira, Hans-Werner Hector, and Claus Wellenreuther.

On April 1, 1972, Hopp and his four former IBM colleagues founded SystemAnalyse Programmentwicklung, the company that became SAP. SAP initially developed standardized software for business data processing and later became one of the world's leading enterprise-software companies. The founders moved the company to its first purpose-built office in Walldorf in 1980, and SAP's R/2 and R/3 systems helped establish integrated enterprise-resource-planning software as a major part of business computing.

Hopp served as chief executive officer of SAP from 1988 to 1998. During this period SAP became a publicly traded company and expanded internationally; the company was listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1998. From 1998 to 2003 he chaired SAP's supervisory board, and he remained a member of the board until 2005.

After leaving SAP's operating management, Hopp worked as an investor, particularly in biotechnology, and developed extensive philanthropic activities. He established the Dietmar Hopp Stiftung in 1995, which supports projects in sports, medicine, education, and social welfare. In 2006 he transferred a substantial portion of his wealth to charitable purposes, making the foundation one of the significant philanthropic institutions in the Rhine-Neckar region.

Hopp became a major financial supporter of TSG Hoffenheim, the football club of his youth. His involvement began in 1989, and his support helped the club progress from the lower amateur divisions to the Bundesliga in 2008. The Dietmar-Hopp-Stadion opened in Hoffenheim in 1999, and the larger Rhein-Neckar-Arena opened near Sinsheim in 2009. He also supported the construction of training and youth facilities associated with the club.

His later civic projects included support for climate education and public environmental awareness. In 2014 he helped establish the Klimastiftung für Bürger, and the Klima Arena opened in Sinsheim in 2019 as an exhibition and extracurricular learning center devoted to climate and sustainability issues. Hopp also supported medical research and clinical initiatives connected with Heidelberg University and the Rhine-Neckar region.

Achievements

• Hopp co-founded SystemAnalyse Programmentwicklung in 1972 with four former IBM colleagues; the company became SAP, a major global enterprise-software company whose integrated systems helped establish enterprise-resource-planning software as a central business technology.

• Through long-term financial support, Hopp helped TSG Hoffenheim rise from the lower German amateur divisions to the Bundesliga in 2008 and supported the construction of the Dietmar-Hopp-Stadion and Rhein-Neckar-Arena.

• Hopp established the Dietmar Hopp Stiftung in 1995 and transferred a substantial portion of his wealth to charitable purposes, supporting regional projects in sports, medicine, education, social welfare, and environmental learning.

Views

Hopp's documented philanthropic work reflects an emphasis on directing private wealth toward practical projects in sport, medicine, education, social welfare, and environmental learning. His foundation's regional focus connects entrepreneurship with long-term civic investment in the Rhine-Neckar area.

Interests

• Football, golf, climate education, medical research, and biotechnology investment.

• Sport & Clubs

  Football and golf.

Connections

Hopp worked with Hasso Plattner, Klaus Tschira, Hans-Werner Hector, and Claus Wellenreuther at IBM before the five founded SAP in 1972. Their partnership formed the founding group of the software company that later became SAP SE.

He is married and has two adult sons. His family has also been associated with business and sports-management activities in the Rhine-Neckar region.

Collegue :

Hasso Plattner

Worked with Hopp at IBM and co-founded SAP with him in 1972.

Collegue :

Klaus Tschira

Worked with Hopp at IBM and co-founded SAP with him in 1972.

Collegue :

Hans-Werner Hector

Worked with Hopp at IBM and co-founded SAP with him in 1972.

Collegue :

Claus Wellenreuther

Worked with Hopp at IBM and co-founded SAP with him in 1972.

References

• Dietmar Hopp Stiftung: Der Stifter & die Stiftung Documents Hopp's birth and upbringing, education at the University of Karlsruhe, IBM career, co-founding of SAP, foundation work, support for TSG Hoffenheim, climate initiatives, investment activity, and family.
• SAP History: About SAP Provides the history of SAP's founding in 1972 by Hopp and four former IBM employees, its development in Walldorf, and the company's enterprise-software expansion.
• SAP History 1991–2000 Documents Hopp's departure from SAP's Executive Board in 1998, his move to the Supervisory Board, and the company's international expansion and New York Stock Exchange listing.
• TSG Hoffenheim Sustainability Report 2022/23 Documents the beginning of Hopp's involvement with TSG Hoffenheim, the club's progression to the Bundesliga, and the construction of the Dietmar-Hopp-Stadion and Rhein-Neckar-Arena.
  2023
• Dietmar Hopp Summarizes Hopp's birth, education, IBM career, co-founding of SAP, leadership of SAP, and later activities as investor, philanthropist, and sports patron.