Where Santa Ono Landed
No, you’re not crazy. If you’re a returning student, you may have noticed that the president of the University of Michigan (UM) is not the same man we had in April.
In fact, the office is technically vacant—interim President Domenico Grasso, who left his job as Chancellor of the Dearborn campus, is acting as the de facto leader until a search committee can hire a new president. He says he’s not interested in the job.
His ascension follows the summer saga of Santa Ono, the University’s embattled former president. Just a month after his decision to end diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) operations at UM drew institutional backlash, Ono announced that he was entering the transfer portal.
After only serving for a little under three years as president—the shortest tenure in UM history—Ono resigned to become the president of the University of Florida (UF). His decision to do so was probably not hard: UF was offering Ono $3 million, which would have made him the highest-paid university president in the country.
By contrast, UM offered a $1.3 million raise, which was still above average for the position. Still, for Ono, the decision seemed clear. The Board of Trustees had approved him as a finalist; all he needed was the approval of UF’s Board of Governors. He seemed destined for Florida.
Except he wasn’t. While Ono left UM on bad terms with many liberal students, with many claiming his move to end DEI was made to secure his UF job, conservatives in Florida picked apart Ono’s record at UM and started to apply pressure on the Board of Governors.
Spearheaded by Donald Trump Jr., who called Ono a “woke psycho” on X, Florida conservatives were not convinced that Ono’s newfound opposition to DEI—which he penned in an Op-Ed during his transfer process—was genuine. Republican Representative Greg Steube, Gubernatorial frontrunner Byron Donalds, and Senator Rick Scott all joined Don Jr. in the campaign against Ono. They urged the Board of Governors to reject Ono and look for a more conservative president for UF.
And the Board of Governors listened, rejecting Ono 10-6. They cited his record of DEI, holistic admissions (think affirmative action), and discriminatory hiring for their decision. After dumping UM for UF, Ono was left stranded without a job at either.
So where is Ono now? While his turbulent exit was widely broadcast over the summer, not much has been said about his new job. I’m happy to report that Ono landed on his feet—probably thanks to a very powerful friend.
If you follow UM football, you’re likely familiar with Oracle founder Larry Ellison. A billionaire, Ellison was a key donor behind the Michigan Wolverines’ recruitment of freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood.
Underwood, the top high school quarterback recruit in the country, was committed to Louisiana State University (LSU). Then, Underwood was offered $12 million for four years of play at UM, flipping him. Ellison—with support from famous alumni like Tom Brady and Dave Portnoy—underwrote that contract, with many theorizing that his marriage to a secretive UM alumnus got him involved.
To the benefit of Ono, it seems Larry Ellison’s connection to the University ran deeper than football. In August, it was announced that Ono had found a new job—as the global president of the Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT). Yes, that Ellison.
EIT, an international technology research and development organization, was founded by Larry Ellison—its current chairman—and the University of Oxford. It employs the research of graduates and undergraduates for “science, technology, and innovation.” Announcing his hiring of Ono, Ellison said Ono’s scientific background and presidency of UM qualified him for the job.
While no personal friendship is known to exist between Ellison and Ono, it’s possible their mutual connection to UM helped Ono secure his role. Ono will report directly to Ellison, although it is also unclear if Ellison had any role in his hiring process.
If his connection to Ellison played little role in his hiring, then maybe his connection with other EIT higher-ups did. Ono reportedly has an over 20-year professional relationship with EIT Oxford President Sir John Bell, with whom he will now work in partnership.
After a tough end to a career in academia, Ono now moves forward with a commercial venture in Oxford. His qualifications set him up for his new position, but his personal connections might have given him the edge. It certainly pays to know people.
Views expressed in opinion pieces belong solely to the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Michigan Review.
About the Author
Rob Gioia is the president of The Michigan Review (2024-present).
