STUDENT ADMITTED TO HARVARD AFTER FATHER BUYS a home from FENCING COACH at twice the value

Harvard University launched an investigation into a student’s acceptance to the college following the sale of a Harvard fencing coach’s home to the student’s father for reportedly almost double the home’s worth.

JieZhao bought a three-bedroom home in Needham, Massachusetts, with an assessed valued of $549,300 for almost $1 million in 2016 from Harvard’s famed fencing coach, Peter Brand, The Boston Globe first reported. Zhao’s son was a prospective student at the time, and now is enrolled at Harvard and on the fencing team. Zhao reportedly never lived in his Needham home and sold it 17 months later at a $324,500 loss.

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While Zhao told the Globe he realized the exchange appeared to be suspicious, it was an investment for a friend, not a payment to get his son admitted into the Ivy League school.

“I want to help Peter Brand because I feel so sorry he has to travel so much to go to fencing practice,” Zhao said.

The commute, however, was only about 12 miles.
https://dailycaller.com/2019/04/05/harvard-fencing-coach-house/