Achieve a better shape of life: how entrepreneurship gears up life-time well-being

Purpose - An anomaly of entrepreneurship literature was that, despite serious efforts required to manage a business, few studies had investigated entrepreneurs' health conditions at the end of their careers. This study investigated whether one's entrepreneurship in a lifetime enhanced their health after a career plateau. Design/methodology/approach - The authors tested the main effect and mediating effects of entrepreneurs' life habits and self-esteem, respectively, using two longitudinal representative examples with 8,984 and 12,686 participants. Findings - Results indicated that entrepreneurship significantly improved individuals' general lifetime health condition. Moreover, life habits (e.g. vigorous activities or sports, light activities, drinking habits and diet habits) and self-esteem significantly mediated the relationship between entrepreneurship and lifetime health. Entrepreneurs tended to have better health due to healthier life habits and higher self-esteem than salaried employees. In this paper, the authors also discussed theoretical and practical implications. Originality/value - The authors proposed and found that, to counter the harsh requirements of entrepreneurial actions, entrepreneurs need to seek personal physical and psychological resources, and these resources can benefit their health even after decades.