Plus, in academia (at least in most countries of the EU, where you receive a salary during your PhD... I don't know how it works in other countries) you can foc

Plus, in academia (at least in most countries of the EU, where you receive a salary during your PhD... I don't know how it works in other countries) you can focus on stimulating problems with little business value, and you can decide on your own your research topic, which is a kind of freedom I can't imagine in any industry. I'm more than willing to trade a significant amount of my salary for that freedom.