It may be all about talent, but that cool half-mil is not all salary. A large percentage of that money goes to funding for a couple of grad students and postdo

It may be all about talent, but that cool half-mil is not all salary. A large percentage of that money goes to funding for a couple of grad students and postdocs, equipment and supplies (a theoretician still needs fast computers) travel expenses to conferences to present those world-class papers, and so forth. Probably no more than $100-150K of that represents salary for the professor. Also, is that money start-up funding (a lump sum) or annual support? It's not clear the way it's written, but a top researcher would most likely be expected to secure solid external support from government (National Science Foundation, DARPA, etc), corporate, and other funding sources within a year or so.