Do Entrepreneurs Live Longer?
Running a small business means wearing a dozen hats, sometimes until 11 p.m... and guess what? It's 11:00! 😉 But does all that work shorten your life? New research on entrepreneurs, longevity and mental health has some surprising findings.
October is Small Business Month here in Canada, a time that spotlights entrepreneurs. I recently stumbled upon an interesting study that got me thinking.
When you run your own business, you end up doing just about every job imaginable. You know the jobs: the marketer, the writer, the customer service desk, the person packing boxes, and the one fixing the product page at 11 p.m.
That keeps you going and on your toes. But previous research has suggested that the pressures of running a business can take a toll on your health. So does all that shorten our lives?
A new study from Stevens Institute of Technology, published in the Journal of Business Venturing on October 22, 2026, looked at that question.
The researchers analysed data from more than 27,000 Americans aged 50 and older, collected over roughly two decades through the Health and Retirement Study. After accounting for factors including age, income, education and health, people with entrepreneurial experience had about a 10 per cent lower risk of death than those without it. The longer someone spent running a business, the stronger the association.
Mental health appears to be a big part of that advantage. Entrepreneurs in the study reported fewer depressive symptoms and less loneliness, and the lead researcher called mental health the clearest pathway to a longer life.
The advantage was strongest for people who started a business because they saw an opportunity, as opposed to those who became entrepreneurs out of necessity, such as after losing a job.
But there's another side to the story.
A separate 2025 study in Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice used Finnish register data covering 2000 to 2021. It found that entrepreneurs were, on average, healthier and lived longer than a comparable group from the general population.
The Finnish study found that sustained business growth, including increases in sales and employee numbers, was associated with a higher risk of serious illness.
The Stevens study shows a link between entrepreneurship and longevity. It doesn't prove that running a business causes people to live longer. Still, it's a good reminder that looking after your mind and making time for rest are part of the job, not a luxury.
Well, after 20 years of running Danna Bananas, I'll take that as a little good news!
Happy Small Business Month, from one owner to another.
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