One of the seismic recruiting decisions in recent memory can be traced back to a previously unknown Michigan alumnus.
Billionaire Larry Ellison’s wife, Jolin Zhu — who also goes by Keren Zhu — received a bachelor of arts degree in International Studies from Michigan in 2012, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Ellison is the third-richest person in the world, per Forbes.com, and Michigan’s NIL group, Champions Circle, thanked the two for helping flip No. 1 recruit Bryce Underwood from LSU.
Underwood’s father, Jay, told the Wall Street Journal he expects his son to receive more than $15 million while serving as the Wolverines’ quarterback.
“We are very excited to keep Bryce home in Michigan as he continues to build his legacy,” Champions Circle said in a statement. “I want to personally thank Larry and his wife Jolin who were instrumental in making this happen by providing Champions Circle with invaluable guidance and financial resources.
“Jolin, a proud Michigan alum, shared ‘I am a big fan of the University of Michigan and Michigan Athletics. We are excited to support our student-athletes, so they can go compete at the highest level in college sports.’”
Underwood shifting his commitment could have long-standing ramifications in the college football world, especially if he lives up to his billing as the nation’s top-rated prospect.
While it’s easy to piece together why Michigan alums Tom Brady and Dave Portnoy aided the process, some wondered how Ellison fit into the picture.
Ellison, who founded Oracle, is worth $223.7 billion, per Forbes, and did not attend Michigan, instead spending time at Illinois and the University of Chicago.
Jolin is his fifth wife and it appears most did not know of their nuptials until the Michigan collective’s statement revealed their marriage.
There is not much known about Jolin, although the Wall Street Journal reported that a Keren Zhu with the same birth date received a bachelor of arts degree from Bard College in 2009. Keren also is listed in a property record for an address that is owned by one of Ellison’s companies.
The husband and wife met with Bryce and Jay on a videoconference, per the report, in which Ellison discussed how hard work can help one overcome adversity, no matter where they grew up, and Jolin described her time in Ann Arbor and goal to return Michigan to the top of the sport.
“I guess happy wife, happy life,” Jay told the outlet.
Portnoy also previously revealed how he worked with Jolin and Ellison to help secure Bryce’s commitment, saying someone from Michigan called him to say the two wanted to chat with him.
“They said, ‘Hey, there’s this donor who wants to talk to you.’ I said that I’m doing this by myself and I don’t need to talk to anybody. And they said, ‘Please, this woman is a big fan of Barstool and you. She’d love to talk to you. Her name is Jolin,” Portnoy said last week. “They said her husband is a guy by the name of Larry Ellison, you ever heard of him?’”
Jolin then made her pitch to Portnoy.
“She said, ‘I never want to live that era ever again. I can’t stomach waking up on a Saturday knowing we’re not the best team on the field,” Portnoy recalled.
“Jolin said on that first call, ‘I needed somebody from Michigan to step up and show they cared as much as I did.’ And then it was like the mega-powers united.”
Brady also did his part, Facetiming with Underwood to sell the school and provide encouragement, per the report. The future Hall of Famer talked with the rising prospect three or four times a week.
“That was another incentive — to be able to have the opportunity to talk to one of the greatest of all time on the daily, whenever you feel like giving him a call,” Jay told the publication.
Jay noted that LSU and Michigan’s offers were “pretty much even”, but Bryce, who plays for Belleville (Mich.), ultimately opted to play for his state’s school.
“It’s about the community,” Jay told the Wall Street Journal, “being able to play at home.”