Both business owners and salary earning are both income generating activities which helps in providing the basic needs of man, what matters most is the amount of effort you put in running either someone's business or your personal business that determines the output you get at the end. Although must successful men or women are self employed people that have full knowledge of business management and control. Been self employed helps in building financial stability and control over once capital when it comes to finance management of any kind while and employee don't have such right to make financial decisions except it is approved by his or her employer.
It is true that salary earners and business owners both generates income in their various efforts, on the other hand, this two are not on same level in establishing wealth.
You can pass on your business to your posterity and they continue the managem of the business expanding it from where you left of. But this you can't do with salary work, if you are retired that is end for you, at most it is a retirement benefit you will receive, and you can't transfer your position in the job to your children as you'll do with business enterprise.
If faced with the opportunity of this two alternatives, go for business if the capital to begin is available, no matter how small you might start on, with the process of time your business will expand as well as the profit you'll be making. In business profit is not static as it is with salary where you have to earn a static paycheck until next promotion which takes a year or more.