H ans Thomann is a self-made German billionaire who is the owner and CEO of Thomann, Europe's largest online retailer of musical instruments and audio equipment. The company was founded by his father as a small music store in a village in Bavaria. Hans took over the business in the 1990s and had the incredible foresight to embrace e-commerce long before it was mainstream.

He transformed his father's small shop into a massive internet powerhouse, shipping guitars, keyboards, and professional audio gear to customers across Europe and around the world. The company is famous for its massive selection, its competitive pricing, and its highly regarded customer service. He has kept the company privately owned, and his vision in pivoting to online retail at such an early stage has made him one of Germany's most successful and low-profile e-commerce pioneers.