Yes, on average: a study published October 22, 2026, found that Americans aged 50 and older who had engaged in entrepreneurship had about a 10% lower risk of death than people who had not, even after accounting for age, income, education and health.
The research, led by Cristiano Bellavitis, an associate professor in the School of Business at Stevens Institute of Technology, appeared in the Journal of Business Venturing under the title “Do Entrepreneurs Live Longer?” It drew on more than two decades of data covering over 27,000 Americans. Entrepreneurs reported lower levels of depression and loneliness, and the longevity advantage was strongest among people who started a business by choice to pursue an opportunity. People who became entrepreneurs out of necessity, such as after losing a job, did not show the same benefit. Longer and more frequent time spent in entrepreneurship was also linked to a longer lifespan. The authors stress that the study shows an association, not proof that running a business directly causes people to live longer. They suggest autonomy, purpose and personal control may explain the pattern, and that employers can offer some of the same benefits by giving workers more ownership of their work.
Image: A shop owner in Indonesia, USAID Indonesia, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.