Chinese Family Allegedly Paid $6.5 Million to Get Daughter Admitted to Stanford: Report
TOP DOLLAR
The family of a Chinese student allegedly paid $6.5 million to the mastermind of the college admissions scam to get their daughter into Stanford University, the Los Angeles Times reports. Chinese families were some of Rick Singer’s biggest clients, paying him far more than their domestic counterparts. Of the 33 parents charged in the sprawling investigation, no one is accused of spending close to what this family paid. The next highest payment was $1.2 million, also paid by a Chinese family. Singer was reportedly able to have the student, Yusi Zhao, who also goes by Molly, flagged as a competitive sailing recruit at the school—despite no evidence that she ever competed in the sport. Zhao’s family, who live in Beijing, allegedly met Singer through a Morgan Stanley financial adviser, sources familiar with the case told The Times. It is unclear how much the Zhao’s knew about Singer’s illegal methods, and no one in the family has been charged in the scandal. Singer has pleaded guilty to orchestrating the elaborate bribery and cheating scheme.