That link doesn't support the claim of "1/2M paycheck". L7, the first point at which there's a reported total comp over $1M, is a fairly senior position at Google. If you can walk in at L7, it probably means you've already "made it" somewhere else.

I interpreted 1/2M as 0.5M. As did some other folks.

I interpreted it as “1 or 2” and then “oh that’s too high for dev, probably that should be read as ½/0.5”

Precisely