First, he helped bankroll a presidential campaign. Now, a college football program.
Shortly after the Supreme Court greenlit unlimited donations to political committees known as super PACs over a decade ago, billionaire tech CEO Larry Ellison began to cut multimillion-dollar checks aimed at influencing politics at the highest levels.
Shortly after the Supreme Court greenlit unlimited donations to political committees known as super PACs over a decade ago, billionaire tech CEO Larry Ellison began to cut multimillion-dollar checks aimed at influencing politics at the highest levels.
And now, after a Supreme Court ruling eased restrictions on college athletes profiting from their name, image and likeness (commonly referred to as NIL) in recent years — a ruling that’s opened the floodgates for outside groups to essentially pay players to attend their preferred school — Ellison made another splash, helping to pay for the deal that prompted a top high school quarterback recruit to flip his commitment from Louisiana State University to the University of Michigan.
The decision by Bryce Underwood sent shockwaves through the college football landscape.
But once Ellison’s involvement was revealed, it sent another message, too — just like in politics, megadonors have a new avenue to directly influence another arena, thanks to rules allowing for uncapped donations.
Tim Lolli, a former Republican congressional and campaign staffer who is now the director of sports strategy and growth at Causeway Solutions, told NBC News that it’s no surprise that the intersection of sports and politics will continue to grow because “the worlds just operate very similarly.”
Rating: 5