Despite the numerous stories of "whizkid" entrepreneurs like Mark Zuckerberg who start companies in their dorm rooms, research suggests founders over 40-years-old run more successful companies.

Business Insider rounded up many successful people who did not get recognition until well after their 30th birthday.

Legendary comic book creator Stan Lee, for instance, did not create "Fantastic Four" until he was just shy of 39. Julia Child wrote her first cookbook at 50.

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Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates made business lore for creating their multi-million dollar companies in their teens — but data suggests they are anomalies to the norm.

In fact, the average age of business founders hovers around 40, according to research conducted by MIT professor Pierre Azoulay, who analyzed 2.7 million people who founded companies between 2007 and 2014. Azoulay found a founder at age 50 is approximately twice as likely to experience a "successful exit," meaning they get acquired or go public, compared to a founder at age 30, the research found.

Business Insider rounded up 25 famous people who didn't achieve success until well past their 30th birthday.

Renowned fashion designer Vera Wang didn't design her first dress until she was 40. Henry Ford was 45 when he created the revolutionary Model T car in 1908. Writer Harry Bernstein authored countless rejected books before getting his first hit at age 96.

Here are other successful people who found success later in life.

Richard Feloni contributed to an earlier version of this article.