Hasso Plattner
German co-founder of SAP, the business-software giant
- Age
- 82 yrs
- Birthday in 76 days
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Hasso Plattner is a German businessman who co-founded SAP in 1972 with four former IBM colleagues. SAP became Europe’s largest software company, running finance and supply chains for most large companies. He chaired its supervisory board from 2003 to 2024 and founded the Hasso Plattner Institute.
Biography
IBM
Plattner studied communications engineering at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and joined IBM Germany in 1968.
Founding SAP
In 1972 he, Dietmar Hopp, Klaus Tschira, Hans-Werner Hector and Claus Wellenreuther left IBM to found SAP. Its R/2 and R/3 systems integrated business processes in real time.
Leadership
He was co-CEO from 1997 to 2003 and then chairman of the supervisory board. He championed the in-memory database SAP HANA (2010).
Philanthropy
He founded the Hasso Plattner Institute for digital engineering in Potsdam, funded Stanford’s d.school and the Museum Barberini, and owns a share of the San Jose Sharks.
Timeline
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1944
Born in Berlin, Germany
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1968
Joins IBM
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1972
Co-founds SAP
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1992
SAP R/3
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1997
Co-CEO
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1998
Founds the Hasso Plattner Institute
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2010
SAP HANA
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2024
Steps down as chairman
Did you know?
-
1
He is a keen sailor who has won races including the Sydney–Hobart.
-
2
Stanford’s d.school is officially the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design.
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3
He owns the San Jose Sharks ice-hockey team.
Connections
Related people
Also born on 21 January
Frequently asked
Who is Hasso Plattner?
Hasso Plattner is a German businessman who co-founded SAP in 1972 with four former IBM colleagues. SAP became Europe’s largest software company, running finance and supply chains for most large companies. He chaired its supervisory board from 2003 to 2024 and founded the Hasso Plattner Institute.
How old is Hasso Plattner?
Hasso Plattner is 82 years old, born on 21 January 1944 in Berlin, Germany.
Where is Hasso Plattner from?
Hasso Plattner was born in Berlin, Germany.
What is Hasso Plattner known for?
Hasso Plattner is best known for Co-founding SAP (1972); SAP chairman 2003–2024; SAP HANA; Hasso Plattner Institute.
References
- Hasso Plattner — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Hasso Plattner (Q71074) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
Includes material from the Wikipedia article “Hasso Plattner”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. That text is available under the same licence. Learn more
External links
About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editorial team; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal under our editorial policy
- First published 4 November 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“Hasso Plattner.” TrackFame, last updated 5 November 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/hasso-plattner
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