>Top people will do work like that for far less.
I don't know. In my experience, "you get what you pay for" applies to developers like anything else. If you want the very best people, pay them.
Having said that, I don't know if the GP is right about a million per year. I hope it would cost at least that much to pay for such evil behavior but it will actually depend on what other offers people have. After all, TSA agents aren't getting $1m/yr, right?
Dude. Top people will do work like that for far less. See, e.g., the defense industry, the coal mining industry, etc. And with billions at stake, the insurance companies will pay.