Oppenheimer & Co. has onboarded Joel Berry II, a former University of North Carolina (UNC) basketball star, as a Financial Advisor. This move supports the firm’s efforts to work with college athletes who earn money from their name, image and likeness (NIL).
Berry joined Oppenheimer’s Robinson Private Client Group in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, after several years at Truist Financial. The group, led by Managing Director Tanner Robinson, advises on more than $6 billion in client assets, according to Oppenheimer.
Berry will advise individuals, families and business owners. He will focus especially on current and former athletes navigating NIL deals and the new revenue-sharing system in college sports, the firm said. The NIL market emerged after the NCAA changed its rules in July 2021, allowing college athletes to make money from their personal brands without losing eligibility.
Berry helped lead UNC, a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), to the 2017 national championship, earning Final Four Most Outstanding Player honors during a college career in which he also served as team captain. He went on to play professionally and currently works as a commentator for the ACC Network.
“My own career showed me how quickly life can change and how valuable it is to have trusted advice along the way,” Berry said in the announcement. “I bring that perspective to every client relationship, whether I am working with a family, a business owner or an athlete.”
At Berry’s alma mater, the money flowing to athletes is considerable. UNC said last year that it planned to pay athletes $20.5 million in 2025-26, the most allowed for that year. More broadly, Opendorse estimated the value of the 2025-2026 NIL market at about $2.75 billion.
Oppenheimer joins a growing number of wealth managers, including J.P. Morgan and Morgan Stanley, targeting NIL recipients, whose often sudden and uneven income can create demand for tax planning, budgeting and long-term investment advice.
“Joel brings real-world experience advising individuals, families and business owners, along with firsthand insight into the financial lives of athletes,” Robinson said.
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