Exploratory research

Founder Statistics

An exploratory look at ages and funding histories recorded in 436 selected people profiles. These coded values describe our editorial collection, which includes non-founders; they do not describe founders generally.

Methods

Values were coded from FTN editorial profiles. The downloadable records include profile excerpts, rather than independent verification against the underlying books, interviews, or filings. Founder eligibility has not been independently verified. The data was compiled in August 2026; this is a compilation date, not a fact-check date.

Every summary reports its usable sample size (n), its denominator, and how many records lack a usable value. Missing values are not treated as zero. This collection favors notable people, and profiles may emphasize unusual ages or funding histories. It cannot estimate population rates or establish what causes a company to succeed.

Ownership figures refer to different milestones, including IPO, exit, current, and peak stakes. They are not pooled here. Earlier ownership and self-made founder claims have been withdrawn; their anchors now explain the corrections below.

The median coded age at founding is 28 among the 76 profiles with a usable age value (n=76).

Median of numeric age-at-founding values greater than 10 and less than 90 in the coded profiles. Ages may be derived from recorded birth and founding years; source accuracy and founder eligibility remain unverified.

Coverage: 76 of 436 profile records; 360 missing or outside the usable range.

30.3% of usable coded age-at-founding values are 35 or older (23/76 profiles; n=76).

Share of usable coded age-at-founding values that are 35 or greater. Describes these selected profile values, not the age distribution of founders generally.

Coverage: 76 of 436 profile records; 360 missing or outside the usable range.

30.3% of usable coded age-at-founding values are below 25 (23/76 profiles; n=76).

Share of usable coded age-at-founding values below 25. Describes these selected profile values, not the age distribution of founders generally.

Coverage: 76 of 436 profile records; 360 missing or outside the usable range.

28.3% of usable coded times to first outside capital are 10 years or longer (17/60 profiles; n=60).

Share of numeric years-to-first-outside-capital values at least 10, among recorded values from 0 to less than 60. Profile definitions and company milestones have not been independently standardized.

Coverage: 60 of 436 profile records; 376 missing or outside the usable range.

Coded ages at founding — available profile values

Corrections and withdrawn summaries

The earlier page described all scanned people as founders and used the data compilation date as a verification date. Both descriptions have been corrected. Methodology corrected September 7, 2026.

The majority-ownership percentage has been withdrawn. Recorded stakes mix IPO, exit, current, and peak ownership, so they do not measure retention at a comparable milestone.

The pooled median ownership figure has been withdrawn. A comparable ownership summary requires verified founder eligibility and a consistent company milestone.

The biographies behind the numbers

Use the records and their profile excerpts as a starting point for checking the underlying sources. Explore the people library or the founders who kept full ownership.