From The impact of childhood experiences on the development of entrepreneurial intentions:
The childhood experiences of entrepreneurs have been found to be difficult, characterized by poverty, insecurity and/or neglect and personal tragedies, such as parents’ divorce, a parent’s death, family financial difficulties and/or serious illness. Clinical studies of entrepreneurs suggest they are often affected by poverty, poor relationships with their fathers, strong controlling mothers, and feelings of rejection and remoteness, which result in hostility, guilt, anger and suspicion of people in positions of authority. Difficult childhoods are also posited to increase one’s self-reliance, which in turn increases one’s ability to cope with the risks and uncertainties of self-employment.
A study comparing managers and entrepreneurs has confirmed that managers and entrepreneurs do indeed tend to differ in their family background. Entrepreneurs have a much poorer relationship with their fathers than managers, greater identification with their work, more willingness to take risks, and a higher level of initiative and independence.
See the citations and lots more in the full paper by Judy Drennan, Jessica Kennedy, and Patty Renfrow at the link above.
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