Cash gifts of some really high amounts of money have been given to American or British unis before. Even if I am wrong, it's not such a bad long shot that Bo's family may have ticked some influential donors off.

I don't think you are wrong at all. I know of one British professor, who during my first year, got pissed at me because he wanted to protect his vested business interests in China, despite his proclaimations of being a leftie.

I would suspect these horrible dealings are far more common than we may know.