Hasso Plattner is a German entrepreneur, the self-made billionaire co-founder of SAP AG and former Chairman of the Supervisory Board. Born in Berlin in 1944, his family avoided the major conflict of World War II. His career is rooted in elite engineering: he graduated with a Master's degree in Communications Engineering from the University of Karlsruhe (KIT) in 1968.

His career began at IBM Germany as a program developer. In 1972, he and four former IBM colleagues (including Dietmar Hopp and Hans-Werner Hector) resigned from IBM after being discouraged from developing software, recognizing the immense market gap for real-time standard software solutions—the genesis of SAP.

Hasso Plattner's strategic leadership made SAP the world leader in ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) software. He was appointed Deputy Chair of the Executive Board in 1988 (the year of the IPO) and served as CEO from 1997 to 2003, driving the company's growth and technological innovation. He retired from day-to-day operations in 2003 and served as Chairman of the Supervisory Board until May 2024.

His greatest post-executive commitment is philanthropy. He established the Hasso Plattner Foundation, dedicating a substantial portion of his wealth to funding education, science (Life Sciences, Digital Health), and innovative design thinking. He founded the Hasso Plattner Institute (HPI) in Germany and the HPI School of Design Thinking at the University of Potsdam. He is also known for his passion for competitive sailing and has won major regattas. His legacy is tied to the immense financial success of SAP and his structural commitment to scientific and educational advancement.

Hasso Plattner is a major global philanthropist. His structural social impact is tied to SAP's role in modernizing corporate management globally. His profound philanthropic contributions focus on structural reform in education and science, with HPI becoming a globally recognized center for IT systems and design thinking.

His funding of Digital Health and Life Sciences research through HPI provides a critical structural contribution to future medical solutions. He is revered for his ambition to successfully combine business and science.

Hasso Plattner maintains the professional, composed style of a technology executive, often blending tailored suits with a pragmatic, intellectual aesthetic. His style reflects his commitment to both business and science.

Residing in Potsdam, Germany, his luxury is the immense security and autonomy derived from his multi-billion dollar fortune. His life is dedicated to software innovation, scientific philanthropy, and his passion for competitive sailing.