While starting a business is often associated with high stress and grueling hours, new research from the Stevens Institute of Technology suggests it might actually help people live longer.
According to a study published Oct. 22, 2026, in the Journal of Business Venturing, individuals who engage in entrepreneurship tend to live longer than those who spend their careers working exclusively for others.
The research—led by Cristiano Bellavitis, associate professor in the School of Business at Stevens—drew on more than two decades of data tracking over 27,000 Americans aged 50 and older. The findings reveal that people with an entrepreneurial background experience approximately a 10 percent lower risk of death than non-entrepreneurs, even after controlling for income, education, age, and health factors.
Researchers point to the psychological benefits of entrepreneurship as a driving factor behind the longevity advantage.
“Most people think of entrepreneurship as extremely stressful, and it certainly can be,” Bellavitis said. “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.”
Significantly, the study highlighted mental health as a major contributing factor: entrepreneurs reported lower levels of depression and loneliness, both of which are strongly linked to improved health outcomes over time. Furthermore, longer and more frequent engagement in entrepreneurship was associated with an even greater lifespan.
The study’s benefits were not distributed evenly across all business owners. The longevity advantage was strongest among opportunity-driven entrepreneurs—those who launched ventures out of personal choice and a desire to pursue a promising market.
Conversely, individuals who became entrepreneurs strictly out of necessity, such as following a job loss, did not experience the same longevity boost.
“What seems to matter is not entrepreneurship alone, but the circumstances under which people enter it,” Bellavitis explained. “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.”
Bellavitis emphasizes that the study’s conclusions do not mean everyone should rush out to quit their day jobs and start a company. Instead, traditional employers can learn valuable lessons from the findings.
Organizations can foster similar well-being benefits by granting employees greater autonomy, a sense of ownership, and clear visibility into the impact of their work. By creating an environment where staff have the freedom to make decisions and pursue innovative ideas, companies can boost engagement while sparing workers the financial risks of launching a startup.
“In many ways, that could be the best of both worlds,” Bellavitis noted. “Companies can foster the independence, purpose and excitement that often come with entrepreneurship while providing the stability of traditional employment.”
