GoKawiilStudy: 75% of Business Owners Regret Selling Their Company Within a Year
PwC research cited by an Entrepreneur contributor finds that three-quarters of business owners feel deep regret within a year of exiting their company, despite gaining significant wealth. The piece argues the problem isn't financial but personal: many founders never build a plan for identity and purpose after the sale, leaving them adrift once the business that defined them is gone.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
Exit planning in the startup and small-business world tends to focus almost entirely on valuation, deal terms and tax strategy, while ignoring the psychological transition founders face afterward. As more entrepreneurs cash out through acquisitions or IPOs, this gap suggests advisors and wealth managers may need to treat post-exit life planning as seriously as the financial mechanics of the deal itself.
- 75% of business owners regret exiting within a year, per PwC data cited in the piece.
- Regret stems from lack of personal purpose planning, not lack of money.
- Founders are advised to build a concrete post-exit roadmap early, not just a financial one.
Source: entrepreneur.com — Scott Snider, 2026-09-18
Published there as: “You Don’t Need a Yacht. You Need a Personal Plan for Life After You Exit Your Business”
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