In those two cases, probably not. What does influence a lot of founders, though, is what happens to peers who try it. Their friend starts a startup and sells

In those two cases, probably not. What does influence a lot of founders, though, is what happens to peers who try it. Their friend starts a startup and sells it a few years later. How much better off is he economically? Does he merely get enough not to work for a few years, or does he never have to work again? Tax laws make a visible difference here. In a smaller acquisition, which most are, taxing capital gains at the rate of regular income would very often make the difference between someone having enough not to have to work again versus just enough to take a few years off.