Because who cares? There are any number of mathematicians out there, why put so much value on one "thought leader"? I just find HNs obsession with knowing what one particular person thinks odd. It's a consistent reoccurrence.
There are not many mathematicians on Tao's level to put it mildly. And evidently, lots of people care lol. Yes people are interested in what an expert has to say about a potential advancement in their field. This shouldn't be hard to grasp.
