Actually, I thought wealthy parents could get their kids into any college they want, and in the open legally by just offering the school a big pile of money.
You are correct.
These rich people were cheap, trying to get by with less than conventional donations would require, and they broke numerous laws doing it. Pointless greed.
My brother got his two kids into University of Pennsylvania that way.
I know someone who did that at a, say, top 20 school, about 15 years ago. And it cost a cool million. This route I expect was trying to do it on the cheap. Likely meant a higher profit for the intermediary, too. And scooped up those who wouldn’t or couldn’t pay that more “legit” market rate.