Based on structured interviews with business leaders in Egypt and Tunisia, I show how business support for undermining democracy varied between these two countries, and how that support also affected regime change and durability. I argue that democracy's survival in Tunisia is in part a result of the inability of elites to work together to undermine democracy despite their shared interests, and I demonstrate this through an examination of Nidaa Tounes' splits and factions that have hampered this party's efforts to roll back democratic freedoms. By contrast, I show how business engagement with Tamarod, the movement that provided the cover for the Egyptian military coup, dramatically increased the movement's profile and ability to mobilize popular support. While business engagement in Tunisia tended to be spread among competing parties, businesses in Egypt became increasingly uniform in their support for the pro-authoritarian movement that culminated in the election of President Al-Sisi. Crucially, the Egyptian military's widespread linkages with firms helped bring business leaders together and coerce them into supporting the military-led coalition for regime change.