Despite tariff fears and recession warnings, the world’s top entrepreneurs are more optimistic than ever — and quietly preparing for the biggest wealth transfer in a generation. Their response? A collective shrug and a focused plan to cash in big over the next decade.
According to the newly released 2026 UBS Global Entrepreneur Report, the world’s most successful business founders are fiercely optimistic, planning massive workforce expansions, and, most notably, preparing for highly lucrative business exits.
The report, which surveyed 215 elite founders boasting a combined $34.3 billion in annual revenue, paints a picture of a business class pretty much unfazed by macroeconomic headwinds. A striking 68% of entrepreneurs say they are optimistic about their business prospects over the next 12 months. This confidence is highest in Switzerland (83%) and Europe (74%), driven primarily by surging customer demand and rapid technological advancements.
Benjamin Cavalli, Head of Strategic Clients & Global Connectivity at UBS, noted that founders are refusing to retreat. “Entrepreneurs are not preparing for retrenchment. They’re preparing for reinvention,” he observed, adding that they are entering the year with “remarkable resilience”.
80% Plan to Expand Headcount in Five Years
Instead of pulling back, founders are doubling down on growth. Over the next five years, 80% of entrepreneurs globally expect to increase their workforce, with 37% intending to do so significantly. Furthermore, 45% are eyeing international expansion or relocation to capture new customer markets. To drive efficiency and improve margins, they are enthusiastically embracing artificial intelligence, with 61% viewing AI as their greatest commercial technology opportunity. While they do acknowledge risks—such as political instability (42%) and the threat of major geopolitical conflicts (35%)—they are actively mitigating these threats by boosting operational efficiency and diversifying their markets rather than hitting the brakes.
But perhaps the most revealing takeaway from the 2026 report is what comes next: the great wealth transfer. Having successfully navigated a turbulent economic landscape, a massive wave of founders is preparing to sell.
The $34 Billion Exit Wave: Why Founders Are Finally Cashing Out
Nearly a third (32%) of global entrepreneurs are actively considering exiting their businesses within the next five years. For those aged 65 and over, this figure surges to 57%. American entrepreneurs are leading this stampede to the bank, with a staggering 63% planning an exit, significantly outpacing their peers in Europe (38%) and Asia-Pacific (18%).
When they do cash out, they are looking for the highest bidder. Forty percent of exiting founders expect to sell to a strategic buyer within their industry, a move often motivated by the higher valuations that corporate synergies can justify. Only 23% plan to hand the operating business down to the next generation, and a mere 6% envision an IPO.
This impending wave of sales is driven by a stark realization among founders: they have neglected their own bank accounts. Nearly a third (32%) of those surveyed admit they have not built up their personal wealth as much as they could have, having continually reinvested their capital back into corporate growth. In the US, nearly half (47%) report this personal wealth gap.
However, the tide is turning. Globally, 42% of these business-first founders say their primary focus will shift to building their personal fortunes immediately following a sale. As they prepare for this windfall, their anxieties are shifting from corporate strategy to personal legacy. Two-thirds (67%) are prioritizing how to help their heirs manage this impending wealth responsibly, while 61% are hyper-focused on the tax efficiency of transferring their assets.
With their eyes firmly fixed on lucrative sales and wealth management, the world’s entrepreneurs are confidently ignoring today’s economic noise, preparing to trade their boardrooms for a well-earned, massive payday.
A Different Picture on Main Street
Not everyone is feeling the same optimism. The National Federation of Independent Business’s Small Business Optimism Index fell for the second consecutive month in February, slipping 0.5 points to 98.8, as expected real sales volumes dropped 8 points to a net 8% — the weakest reading in nearly a year. Hiring plans fell to their lowest level since May, and taxes remained the top concern for the third straight month.
The divergence between the UBS and NFIB findings reflects a structural split in the American business landscape. The entrepreneurs UBS surveyed have the capital and scale to relocate, diversify, and invest in AI. The small business owners the NFIB tracks are navigating tariff uncertainty, labor shortages, and competition from the very large businesses that are deploying those tools. “High sales and increased profits made February a more positive month for many owners,” said NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg, “but competition from large businesses is putting stress on Main Street firms as they navigate the current economic climate.”
The March NFIB survey will be the first to capture small business sentiment after rising energy prices linked to the Iran War — adding yet another variable to an already fragile outlook for the businesses least equipped to absorb it.
For this story, Fortune journalists used generative AI as a research tool. An editor verified the accuracy of the information before publishing.
