Founding entrepreneur’s dilemma: Stay or exit the firm following an acquisition? An international comparison

•Founding entrepreneurs’ experiences and characteristics influence their choice to remain or exit their company after it has been acquired.•Founders with prior entrepreneurial and international experience and higher education levels display a greater propensity to exit.•After the acquisition, founding entrepreneurs with longer tenure tend to remain in the firm.•Compared to their North American counterparts, entrepreneurs residing in Europe and Asia show a higher propensity for remaining in their firms.