At any price point the number doesn’t matter. It could be a trillion gaquillion dollars or it could be 25¢. Either way, they own him.
“Beware hiring him” is the venue’s dog whistle to the rest of the fat cats. “Don’t hire him” as the establishment line in the sand. It backfires when you listen to him in his own words. He sounds like a random dude, a dude like you and me.