The Working Owner Discount: How Owner Dependency Cuts Valuations by Nearly Half (and the Systems That Close It)

The Working Owner Discount: How Owner Dependency Cuts Valuations by Nearly Half (and the Systems That Close It)

jake
Published on: 20/10/2026

Data from 4,700+ transactions shows owner-dependent businesses sell at 4.0× vs 7.5× EBITDA. Here is how systems close the Working Owner Discount for $1M–$25M founder-led companies.

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