The Secret Michigan Connection: Who Is Jolin Ellison, Larry Ellison's Wife Who Shook Up College Football?

The name Jolin Ellison was virtually unknown to the public until a major college football recruiting bombshell dropped in late 2023. This is the story of Larry Ellison's wife and her deep, yet previously secret, connection to the state of Michigan—a connection that recently leveraged the Oracle co-founder’s immense wealth to fundamentally change the landscape of the University of Michigan Wolverines’ football program. As of December 2025, Jolin Ellison's influence has become a central and fascinating topic, revealing her as a highly influential University of Michigan alumna who is now one of the most powerful—and private—figures in collegiate sports funding.

The mystery surrounding Jolin Ellison (née Zhu) and her role as the spouse of one of the world's richest men, Larry Ellison, was intentionally kept quiet until her involvement with the Michigan Wolverines' Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) collective became impossible to ignore. Her personal history and powerful advocacy for her alma mater in Ann Arbor provide a fresh, unique, and compelling answer to the query "Larry Ellison wife Michigan," shifting the narrative from his well-known past marriages to a highly current and impactful partnership.

Larry Ellison's Wives: A Complete Marital History and Biography

Larry Ellison, the co-founder, executive chairman, and CTO of Oracle Corporation, has had one of the most storied and high-profile romantic lives in the tech world. His marital history includes five official marriages, with his current wife, Jolin Ellison, being the most recent and, arguably, the most impactful in terms of public influence outside of the tech and business sectors. The sheer number of his marriages is often a point of fascination, with sources sometimes differing on whether Jolin is the fifth or sixth spouse, depending on how non-official long-term relationships are counted.

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• First Wife: Adda Quinn (1967–1974)
  Ellison's first marriage occurred before his rise to billionaire status. Adda Quinn was a programmer and the marriage lasted seven years, ending as Ellison was still in the early stages of establishing his career.
• Second Wife: Nancy Wheeler Jenkins (c. 1977–1978)
  A brief marriage to a receptionist. This union lasted only about a year, occurring just before the official incorporation of Software Development Laboratories (SDL), which would later become Oracle.
• Third Wife: Barbara Boothe (1983–1986)
  Boothe was a former receptionist at one of Ellison’s companies. This marriage produced his two well-known children, David Ellison and Megan Ellison, both successful film producers.
• Fourth Wife: Melanie Craft (2003–2010)
  Melanie Craft is a romance novelist. Their extravagant wedding at his Woodside, California, estate was officiated by Steve Jobs, a testament to Ellison's standing in Silicon Valley.
• Current Wife: Jolin Ellison (née Zhu or Keren Zhu) (c. 2023–Present)
  The focus of the "Michigan" query. Jolin Ellison is a Chinese-born University of Michigan alumna, approximately 47 years his junior. Her influence has been most visible through the University of Michigan Wolverines' football program.

The University of Michigan Alumna Who Became a Power Broker

Jolin Ellison, whose maiden name is Zhu (sometimes referred to as Keren Zhu), is the key figure connecting Larry Ellison to the state of Michigan. Born in China, she came to the U.S. and attended the University of Michigan, where she majored in International Studies. This academic background in Ann Arbor cemented a deep, personal loyalty to the Wolverines football program, a loyalty that would later manifest in a massive financial commitment.

Prior to her public revelation, Jolin maintained a remarkably low profile, a stark contrast to the billionaire lifestyle of her husband. Her age, reported to be in her early to mid-30s, makes her nearly five decades younger than the Oracle co-founder, highlighting the significant age gap in their relationship. The couple reportedly resides between their properties in Florida and California, but the pull of Ann Arbor, Michigan, proved to be a powerful, defining factor in their public life.

The marriage itself was a quiet affair, with the news only leaking out to the public through the context of college athletics funding. This secrecy has only amplified the public's curiosity and the media's coverage of her background and influence. Jolin Ellison is not merely a billionaire's wife; she is an active, strategic player in her own right, particularly in the realm of collegiate sports.

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How Jolin Ellison's Michigan Loyalty Fueled a NIL Revolution

The most compelling and recent information about Jolin Ellison is her pivotal role in the University of Michigan's ability to secure a top-tier football recruit, quarterback Bryce Underwood. This event, which took place in late 2023 and early 2024, put Jolin and Larry Ellison squarely in the spotlight of the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) era of college sports.

The Wolverines’ main NIL collective, Champions Circle, publicly credited "Larry and his wife Jolin" as "instrumental" in the deal that flipped Bryce Underwood from a rival school. This was a monumental win for the Michigan Wolverines football program, then coached by Sherrone Moore. The financial commitment was reported to be substantial, with Larry Ellison's wealth providing the foundation, but Jolin's passion and direct involvement were the driving force.

Jolin’s own words, shared with media figures like Dave Portnoy, underscored her commitment, stating she didn't need the credit, but "I need national championships." This quote became an immediate rallying cry for the Michigan fanbase, solidifying her status as a high-profile, influential alum and a key figure in the program's financial future. Her advocacy for the NIL collective and her alma mater demonstrates a powerful application of the Oracle CEO's resources toward a cause she deeply believes in, making the "Larry Ellison wife Michigan" query a story about a massive shift in collegiate athletic funding.

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Topical Authority: The Ellison-Michigan Ecosystem

The story of Jolin Ellison and her Michigan connection is supported by a wide network of related entities, all of which contribute to the topical authority of this subject:

• Oracle Corporation: The source of Larry Ellison's multi-billion-dollar net worth, which provides the funding for these massive NIL deals.
• Bryce Underwood: The five-star quarterback whose recruitment was the catalyst for Jolin Ellison's public emergence. His commitment was a direct result of the Champions Circle collective's efforts, backed by the Ellisons.
• Champions Circle: The specific Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) collective for the University of Michigan Wolverines football team that received the instrumental funding.
• Sherrone Moore: The head football coach for the Wolverines who benefited directly from the successful recruitment efforts supported by the Ellisons.
• International Studies: Jolin Ellison's specific major at the University of Michigan, providing a concrete detail of her Ann Arbor roots.
• Nikita Kahn: Larry Ellison's previous long-term partner, often mentioned in older articles before the revelation of his marriage to Jolin Zhu.
• David and Megan Ellison: Larry Ellison's children from his marriage to Barbara Boothe, who are successful film producers, linking the tech billionaire to Hollywood.
• The Age Gap: The 47-year age difference between Larry Ellison and Jolin Ellison is a constant source of media coverage and curiosity, adding to the clickbait nature of the story.

Jolin Ellison is more than just a footnote in Larry Ellison's expansive biography. She is the current, active link to the world of college athletics, having used her personal connection to the University of Michigan to inject a transformative amount of capital and influence into the Wolverines program. This development ensures that the name Jolin Ellison will continue to be a prominent entity in the intersection of Silicon Valley wealth and collegiate sports for years to come.