A Forbes feature highlights ten entrepreneurs whose success stories defy age norms, showing that the belief that breakthroughs must happen early in life is a myth. While startup culture often celebrates youthful founders in garages and dorm rooms, this group — aged 44 up to 85 — built meaningful businesses and personal brands long after conventional “prime years”.

Instead of viewing age as a limitation, these founders leaned into experience, resilience and ongoing curiosity. Their paths include an 85-year-old mathematician who mastered AI tools and became a strategy leader past typical retirement age, and a 63-year-old surgeon who overcame hyperinflation and built a life-coaching business from a simple phone. Others pivoted after layoffs, reinvented careers or built personal brands that became business assets.

Their stories dismantle common assumptions — that you need early wins, perfect conditions or a young age to build something impactful. Instead, they show that wisdom gained over decades, combined with adaptation and purpose, can lead to strong ventures with fewer mistakes and deeper insight. As Forbes puts it, success doesn’t expire — it evolves with courage, lifelong learning and belief in one’s own potential.