Not even worth thinking about unless you're already very wealthy. Take the $10mil.
It's not an "either/or" situation. Take the $10mil right now, start another company.
Promoting the idea that it's preferable or "cool" to start your own company given these choices is ridiculous, and I hope nobody learns the wrong thing from this show because of it.
There also may be people who spend twenty years working on an algorithm and believe they can only monetize those years with a successful business.
For them it might be a real quandary and not a no-brainer, because they won't get that algorithm again.
But even, even those people should take the $10 million. Even if it seems like you're selling your one opportunity, you should do it. Because as others have mentioned, serious success is about execution. Even the best algorithm ever won't be worth more than $10 million if you are a lousy businessperson. And if you are a good business person, you'll be in a better position to succeed with your $10 million than with your one idea.
What if you've spent twenty years working on an invention - could be an algorithm, doesn't matter - and you're being offered $10M to buy it, by a company that either intends to bury it on purpose, or will probably bury it through corporate incompetence?
The right way to think about this is "years there * opportunity cost". In other words, if they're paying you more or less what you'd earn otherwise, then no reason not to, at least financially.
If it's a horrible place to work and you'll hate every moment, then I'd think twice.
It's not an "either/or" situation. Take the $10mil right now, start another company.
Promoting the idea that it's preferable or "cool" to start your own company given these choices is ridiculous, and I hope nobody learns the wrong thing from this show because of it.