"Very few of them that I know did it to try to get very wealthy, mostly it was for all the other reasons: independence, not having a boss, charting your own course, pursuing a solid opportunity that becomes a good job, doing something they enjoy, etc."

That's exactly why I would never try to be an entrepreneur. So many people do it for the intangibles until they go bust, which means that no matter how good you are or how rational you are, you have to compete with a constant influx of people who will operate at a loss as long as they can.