For the most part it can be hard to get a lot of details regarding the financial details of DePaul University due to the fact that it is a private university, which means that it is not subjected to the same Freedom of Information laws that other public universities are required to follow. 

Since DePaul is a nonprofit organization, however, the university is required to file an annual Form 990 with the Internal Revenue Service, which reveals key details about the highest paid employees, revenue generated, expenses incurred and endowment growth in the fiscal year. 

The form, while not revealing everything about the university’s financial details, provides a glimpse into where some of DePaul’s money goes to on a yearly basis.

The DePaulia has been able to take a look at the most recent Form 990 for the 2019-20 fiscal year. 

Who were the highest paid employees for the 2019-20 fiscal year?

That answer is pretty simple: It was former men’s basketball head coach Dave Leitao, who received a total compensation package of $1,423,644 — which is a combination of his base compensation, bonuses, other reportable compensation, retirement and other deferred compensation and nontaxable benefits, according to the form.

Leitao did receive a contract extension in the spring of 2020, but he was fired a year later. At the time, The DePaulia reported that Leitao’s contract did not include a buyout or any guaranteed money. 

DePaul has replaced Leitao with Tony Stubblefield, but his compensation will not be included in the Form 990 until next year. 

Esteban comes in just behind Leitao for the 2019-20 year, at a total compensation of $1,105,329, which is about a $10,000 increase from the previous year, according to the form. He will be stepping down as the university’s president at the end of the school year, but he did receive a contract extension in the summer of 2020. 

Leitao and Esteban are the only two people at the university to receive over a million dollars for the 2019-20 year. 

Some other notable inclusions for the highest paid employees include former athletic director Jean Lenti Ponsetto, who received a total compensation of $487,116 in her last year with the university. 

Current athletic director DeWayne Peevy is not included in this document because he was hired after the conclusion of the 2019-20 fiscal year. 

Two professors — Mark Frigo and Werner De Bondt — are included in the top five, with Frigo earning $873,170 and De Bondt receiving a little above $800,000. Both professors are in the Driehaus school of Business. 

A notable exclusion from the list is women’s basketball head coach Doug Bruno. In the previous year, Bruno received an estimated $568,535, but he was not included in this year’s document. 

The DePaulia reached out to the university for comment on this matter, but we did not receive an answer before publication. 

How much money did DePaul make and spend in 2019-20?

Again, the answer is very simple: a lot. 

The university made over $900 million in the 2019-20 fiscal year, just over a $70 million increase from the previous year. DePaul made most of its money from tuition, a little bit more than $700 million, according to the form. 

DePaul spent $795,777,740 for this fiscal year, which is a little bit less than the previous year, per the form. Most of DePaul’s expenses went to “grants and other assistance to domestic individuals.” The university also spent over $200 million in “other salaries and wages.” 

These interactive charts breakdown where that money came from and where it went.

How much has DePaul’s endowment grown to? 

DePaul has seen its endowment grow every single year during Esteban’s tenure. The university’s endowment now sits at $751,411,827 after the 2019-20 year, which is about a $50 million increase from the previous year.