Male founders are losing confidence. Women are doubling down on AI
HSBC’s latest survey of wealthy entrepreneurs contains an awkward finding for the men who still write most of the cheques. Their own confidence is slipping, while the confidence of the women they rarely fund is rising. The Global Entrepreneurial Wealth Report 2026 polled more than 3,000 business owners across 17 markets. Over the past year, […] The post Male founders are losing confidence. Women…
HSBC's Global Entrepreneurial Wealth Report 2026 reveals a striking gender gap in confidence among wealthy entrepreneurs. Male founders' confidence in their business prospects has dropped by nine percentage points to 47%, while women's confidence has risen three points to 54%. Female entrepreneurs are also more optimistic about their personal wealth growing substantially (49% vs. 42% for men).
When it comes to AI, women are doubling down, with 58% trusting it to support their businesses, compared to 44% of men. Women also plan to use AI to improve customer service and experience, as well as mine consumer insights, while men focus more on increasing profit margins and workforce leaner. However, women are twice as likely as men to worry about AI eroding critical thinking and decision-making, and they are more anxious about falling behind rivals on AI adoption.
Investors should consider deploying AI where it impacts customer retention and lifetime value, and adopt guardrails to prevent potential issues.
Written by urgent.news from e27's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
