David Heinemeier Hansson
Born 1979 · Age 46
Danish programmer, author, entrepreneur and racing driver; creator of Ruby on Rails and partner/CTO of 37signals/Basecamp; co-author of Getting Real, Rework, Remote and It Doesn't Have to Be Crazy at Work.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born in Copenhagen, Denmark
David Heinemeier Hansson (DHH) was born in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Early exposure to computing (Amstrad CPC 464)
By about age six he was using an Amstrad CPC 464 and showing early interest in video games and technology (from interviews).
Founded Daily Rush (online gaming site)
Founded and built a Danish online gaming news website/community called Daily Rush; ran it until 2001.
Hired by Jason Fried to build project management tool
After offering PHP help, Hansson was hired by Jason Fried to build a web-based project management tool that would become Basecamp.
Released Ruby on Rails as open-source
Developed a custom web framework in Ruby to aid Basecamp development and released it separately in 2004 as Ruby on Rails.
Built the Basecamp project management product
Developed the web-based project management tool that became Basecamp (development aided by Ruby on Rails).
Learned to drive (started racing later)
Hansson obtained his driver’s license at around age 25 and later pursued motorsport as a serious hobby and career.
Open-source contribution: Rails community leadership
Established Ruby on Rails as a major open-source project and led/advocated for Rails doctrine and conventions.
Ruby on Rails adoption by industry (milestone)
Rails rapidly gained adoption by major platforms and developers for web application development, fueling Hansson's reputation.
Became partner and CTO at 37signals/Basecamp (role)
Named partner and chief technology officer at web-based development firm 37signals (later Basecamp); central role in product and framework development.
Co-wrote Agile Web Development with Rails
Co-authored Agile Web Development with Rails with Dave Thomas (part of The Facets of Ruby series).
Won Google / O'Reilly 'Hacker of the Year' (OSCON)
Recognized by Google and O'Reilly with the 'Hacker of the Year' award for creating Ruby on Rails.
Graduated from Copenhagen Business School
Received a bachelor's degree in Computer Science and Business Administration (CBS).
Moved from Denmark to Chicago, Illinois
After graduating, Hansson relocated from Denmark to Chicago to further his work with 37signals/Basecamp.
Accepted investment from Jeff Bezos (37signals/Basecamp)
37signals shifted from strictly eschewing VC to accepting investment from Jeff Bezos (reported in tech press circa 2006).
Published Getting Real (with Jason Fried)
Co-authored Getting Real, a book on building web-based businesses and products.
37signals remained profitable and bootstrapped
Under Jason Fried and Hansson the company emphasized profitability and independence rather than growth-at-all-costs venture funding.
Accepted Jolt Award for Rails 1.0
Accepted the Jolt Award of product excellence for Rails 1.0.
Began studying Stoicism (personal philosophy)
Discovered Stoic philosophy around 2008 and later adopted Stoic practices as part of his life and work philosophy (mentioned in interviews).
Co-wrote Rework (with Jason Fried)
Co-authored Rework, a best-selling business book challenging conventional startup wisdom.
Public advocacy and writing on work culture
Became a widely-read critic of Silicon Valley 'hustle' culture and an advocate for sustainable work practices through blog posts and books (e.g., Rework).
Pagani Zonda HH revealed (commissioned one-off)
It was revealed in July 2010 that Hansson had commissioned the one-off Pagani Zonda HH supercar.
Competed in 24 Hours of Le Mans (OAK Racing) and ALMS wins
Drove for OAK Racing in the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans and also drove a Morgan‑Nissan P2 for Conquest Racing in ALMS, winning two races that season.
Started serious professional motorsport career
Transitioned from hobbyist to serious competitor with repeated entries in endurance racing including Le Mans and ALMS (rookie success).
Named ALMS Rookie of the Year
Recognized as Rookie of the Year in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) for his driving achievements.
Joined OAK Racing full-time; LMP2 success
Joined OAK Racing full-time, took five 2nd-place finishes and finished 2nd in the Trophy for LMP2 Drivers.
Published Remote: Office Not Required (with Jason Fried)
Co-authored Remote, advocating remote work and distributed teams.
Koenigsegg Agera HH sighting (commissioned one-off)
One-of-a-kind Koenigsegg Agera HH commissioned by Hansson was spotted in October 2014 (later sold in 2022).
Read William Irvine's A Guide to the Good Life (Stoicism adoption)
Cites William Irvine's book (2014) as the book that gave him the full tour of Stoicism and influenced his practice.
24 Hours of Le Mans class win (Aston Martin Racing, GTEAm)
Achieved a class victory at the 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans driving for Aston Martin Racing in the GTEAm class.
Revisited Ruby on Rails in updated editions
Worked on/associated with updated editions of Agile Web Development with Rails (Rails 5 edition in 2016), maintaining influence on Rails ecosystem.
Agile Web Development with Rails, 5th edition published
Agile Web Development with Rails 5 (Pragmatic Bookshelf) published with Sam Ruby and Dave Thomas (2016 edition).
Long-form media visibility (multiple high-profile interviews)
Regularly appeared in podcasts and interviews (e.g., Tim Ferriss) increasing public profile and promotion of Basecamp and Rails philosophy.
Guest on The Tim Ferriss Show (podcast)
Appeared on Tim Ferriss's podcast for a long-form interview discussing programming, racing, work-life balance, and Stoicism.
2017 Le Mans car disqualification affected result
During post-race checks at the 2017 24 Hours of Le Mans, irregularities on Vaillante Rebellion's #13 led to disqualification (affected standings/results for that event).
2018 24 Hours of Le Mans participation (DNF)
Drove for Jackie Chan DC Racing in 2018 24 Hours of Le Mans; race result DNF.
2019 24 Hours of Le Mans participation (DNF)
Drove for Jackie Chan DC Racing in 2019 24 Hours of Le Mans; result DNF.
Competed in WeatherTech SportsCar Championship / IMSA season entries
Raced in endurance sports car series events (Tower Motorsport by Starworks, LMP2 entries) as part of ongoing motorsport career.
24 Hours of Le Mans 2022 participation (Inter Europol Competition)
Drove for Inter Europol Competition in the 2022 24 Hours of Le Mans; finished 18th overall, 14th in class.
Published It Doesn't Have to Be Crazy at Work (with Jason Fried)
Co-authored the book advocating calmer, sustainable work practices.
Koenigsegg Agera HH sold (ownership transfer)
The Koenigsegg Agera HH commissioned by Hansson was sold in 2022 to Houston Crosta and later to a YouTuber (TheStradman).
24 Hours of Le Mans 2023 participation (Jota)
Drove for Jota in 2023 Le Mans; finished 24th overall, 13th in class.
24 Hours of Le Mans 2024 participation (Nielsen Racing)
Drove for Nielsen Racing in 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans; finished 25th overall, 11th in class.
Interview on HawkeTalk podcast
Appeared on HawkeTalk (Erik Huberman) discussing late starts, 37signals/Basecamp, Ruby on Rails, and racing.
24 Hours of Le Mans 2025 participation (United Autosports)
Listed as driving for United Autosports in 2025 Le Mans entry (table entry included in sources).
Estimated net worth reported (~$40M)
A profile (mabumbe.com) estimated Hansson's net worth at approximately $40 million as of Jan 12, 2025.
Key Achievement Ages
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