Philip Anschutz, American businessman, founded Anschutz Entertainment Group
Philip Frederick Anschutz ( AN-shoots; born December 28, 1939) is an American billionaire businessman who owns or controls companies in a variety of industries, including energy, railroads, real estate, sports, newspapers, movies, theaters, arenas and music. In 2004, he purchased the parent company of the Journal Newspapers, which under Anschutz's direction became the American conservative editorial newspaper Washington Examiner.
Anschutz was born to Fred and Marian Pfister Anschutz, whose memorial donations established the Anschutz Family Foundation, which has distributed over $50 million to various charitable causes.
In 1961, he bought out his father's oil drilling company, Circle A Drilling, and earned large returns in Wyoming. He invested in stocks, real estate and railroads. He expanded his investments to sports and entertainment companies, co-founding the American association football/soccer league Major League Soccer as well as multiple soccer teams, including the Los Angeles Galaxy, Chicago Fire, Colorado Rapids, Houston Dynamo, San Jose Earthquakes, and the New York/New Jersey MetroStars. Anschutz is the principal owner of the National Hockey League's Los Angeles Kings and is a minority owner of the National Basketball Association's Los Angeles Lakers. He also owns stakes in performance venues, including the Staples Center, The O2, London, and the Dignity Health Sports Park. Through his ownership of Walden Media, he has invested in films such as The Chronicles of Narnia, Ray, and Joshua. Through AEG Live, he owns the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Sea Island Resorts and The Broadmoor hotel in Colorado. He is also the namesake of CU Anschutz, the medical campus of the University of Colorado.
In 2021, Forbes ranked him the 66th richest person in the United States, with an estimated net worth of $10.1 billion.