Earlier quoted context omitted.
Being paid in equity is just plain annoying. It makes your taxes far more complex and, at least at Google) unless you set up an autosale program a year in advance, your money is tied up in company stock until the next trading window. The taxes on equity are a huge PITA when equity is a large fraction of your salary. This is because they withhold at only 25%, even if your tax bracket is higher. This means you have to…
Perhaps I am missing something, but the idea behind getting paid partially in equity is that your total compensation is higher.
But it's also a tax hassle...though it's hard to complain about it.