Sell, close, or continue? The transfer of US businesses is at a crossroads

Sell, close, or continue? The transfer of US businesses is at a crossroads

From The McKinsey Podcast by McKinsey & Company

May 14, 2026 · 26 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the impending transfer of US businesses and its implications for the economy.

A historic wave of ownership transitions is set to reshape the backbone of the US economy. The fate of jobs, local spending, and wealth creation all hinge on whether enough qualified—and diverse—buyers can step in to continue to pave the way for small business ownership. In this episode, Shelley Stewart III, McKinsey senior partner and Roberta Fusaro, editorial director, talk about the scale and stakes of the "Great Ownership transfer". After, Ken Yearwood, McKinsey partner, joins to talk about the risks of inaction and the practical pathways to making these transitions work.  The McKinsey Podcast : https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-podcast Shelley Stewart III: https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/shelley-stewart The Great Ownership Transfer report: https://www.mckinsey.com/institute-for-economic-mobility/our-insights/the-great-ownership-transfer-a-new-era-of-business-stewardship McKinsey Institute for Economic Mobility: https://www.mckinsey.com/institute-for-economic-mobility/overview Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw. See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

People in this episode

Host: Shelley Stewart III

Guests: Roberta Fusaro, Ken Yearwood

Topics covered

  • business ownership
  • economic transitions
  • small business
  • job creation
  • wealth creation
  • diversity in business

Keywords

  • ownership transition
  • Great Ownership Transfer
  • small business ownership
  • economic mobility
  • job market
  • business risks

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: McKinsey & Company, McKinsey Institute for Economic Mobility

Books & works: The Great Ownership Transfer

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