The correct answer is D. Future economic benefits.
Assets are resources that a business owns or controls that have the potential to provide future economic benefits. They can be tangible, such as land, buildings, and equipment, or intangible, such as patents, trademarks, and goodwill.
The value of an asset is determined by its ability to generate future economic benefits. For example, a piece of land is valuable because it can be used to build a factory or office building, which can then be rented out or sold for a profit.
The long life of an asset is not necessarily important. For example, a car is a depreciable asset, which means that its value decreases over time. However, a car can still be a valuable asset if it generates enough future economic benefits.
The intangible nature of an asset is also not necessarily important. For example, a patent is an intangible asset, but it can be very valuable if it protects a valuable invention.
Therefore, the most important characteristic that all assets of a business have is the potential to provide future economic benefits.