93%of the business landscape, 65% of private-sector employment, and more than 60% of national value added. This is the profile of family businesses—the pillars of the economy—which nevertheless continue to carry a major vulnerability: only 5% of them survive into the third generation.These are among the key findings of the study presented by the Family Business Institute (IEF Morocco), with the support of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group.Moroccan family businesses still too often revolve around a central figure: the founder. The person who decides, arbitrates, protects, and embodies the company. As long as that figure remains in place, the system holds together. Once they are gone, succession battles, entrenched governance structures, and the inability to transform a personal entrepreneurial journey into a lasting institution frequently emerge.For a long time, family businesses were viewed as a private matter. The figures released by the study demonstrate that they are, in fact, a matter of national interest. Because a failed succession is never merely a family drama. It means jobs disappearing, expertise being lost, supply chains being weakened, and sometimes entire regions losing their economic engine.The finding is all the more striking because these businesses are often more resilient and successful than commonly assumed. They know how to withstand challenges, adapt to changing circumstances, and create value. Yet they still struggle to grow. Three out of four remain trapped in the small-business category, unable to cross the thresholds that would allow them to become regional or international champions.Today, the real challenge is no longer simply achieving business success. It is also about learning to share power, placing trust in the next generation, and embracing change.In other words, it is about accepting that a company must become more than just a family story.