This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Conventional wisdom suggests that the long hours and pressures of entrepreneurship can take a toll on health. But new research by Cristiano Bellavitis, associate professor in the School of Business at Stevens Institute of Technology, and his collaborators finds that entrepreneurs tend to live longer than people who spend their careers working for others.
Drawing on more than two decades of data from over 27,000 Americans aged 50 and older, Bellavitis' study finds that people who have engaged in entrepreneurship have approximately a 10% lower risk of death than nonentrepreneurs, even after accounting for factors like age, income, education and health. Researchers suggest that the autonomy, purpose and personal control associated with entrepreneurship may help explain the pattern and contribute to long-term well-being. "Most people think of entrepreneurship as extremely stressful, and it certainly can be," Bellavitis says.
"But entrepreneurship also gives people a high degree of autonomy and the opportunity to pursue something they genuinely love or care about. Our findings suggest those benefits may have lasting effects." Mental health appeared to be a statistically significant factor, Bellavitis notes. Entrepreneurs reported lower levels of depression and loneliness, both of which have been associated with better health outcomes and greater longevity.
The study found that the longevity advantage was the strongest among opportunity-driven entrepreneurs: individuals who launched their ventures because they wanted to start a business and pursue a promising opportunity. By contrast, people who became entrepreneurs out of necessity, such as after losing a job, did not reap the same benefits. "What seems to matter is not entrepreneurship alone, but the circumstances under which people enter it," Bellavitis says.
"When entrepreneurship reflects greater choice and opportunity, the autonomy and sense of purpose that can come with it may provide psychological benefits that extend beyond financial rewards." The study titled Do Entrepreneurs Live Longer? was published in the Journal of Business Venturing on Oct. 22, 2026. The researchers emphasize that while the study identifies a strong relationship between entrepreneurship and longevity, it does not prove that entrepreneurship directly causes people to live longer. However, even after controlling for numerous demographic, economic and health factors and conducting additional analysis, the relationship remains significant.
Researchers also found that longer and more frequent engagement in entrepreneurship was associated with a longer lifespan. The findings don't apply to entrepreneurs only, Bellavitis notes—employers can learn from them as well. Organizations can incorporate some of entrepreneurship's benefits by giving employees greater autonomy, ownership and visibility into the impact of their work.
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