Just looking at UCLA employees sorted by gross pay is interesting; Tao ends up around #192 on the list. Mostly due to the medical school, plus some people with titles like "INTERCOL ATH HEAD COACH EX" and "INTERCOL ATH COACH AST EX".
The top 3 (and #5) are all "HEAD COACH".
Super hot take here but I genuinely find it disgusting how many money American Universities spend on sporting events and sports, while also somehow not paying their student athletes.
And their support of the NFL which leaves their students with CTE. We could say it's their voluntary choice to participate but when they're being offered such a juicy carrot to trade off against their health, some people are going to favor the former. It all makes sense when we consider the University is foremost a business.