Outing the Oligarchy - International Forum on Globalization

— INDIVIDUALS OF UNDUE INFLUENCE —
PHILIP ANSCHUTZ, USA
$7 BILLION [AS OF SEPTEMBER 2011]
Wealth: Philip Anschutz has built his fortune on railroads, oil, telecom and entertainment. In 2010, he earned
$2 billion from <strong>the</strong> sale of his gas and oil fields. His full or partial holdings include:
o Qwest Communications, a telecommunications carrier in 14 western U.S. states.
o Union Pacific Railroad.
o Regal Entertainment Group, <strong>the</strong> largest movie <strong>the</strong>ater chain in <strong>the</strong> world.
o Anschutz Company, which has stakes in five U.S. soccer teams, including <strong>the</strong> MLS’s San Jose
Earthquakes, Los Angeles Galaxy, Chicago Fire and Colorado Rapids; <strong>the</strong> NHL’s Los Angeles Kings;
<strong>the</strong> NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers; <strong>the</strong> Staples Center and <strong>the</strong> Kodak Theater in Los Angeles; and <strong>the</strong>
London Arena.
o Forest Oil: oil and natural gas, primarily in <strong>the</strong> Gulf of Mexico, Alaska and Western Canada.
Power Networks: Anschutz has given millions of dollars to conservative Republican candidates, resulting in
leaders that have consistently killed climate legislature. He spends millions more every year to subsidize his
Clarity Media Group, which includes <strong>the</strong> San Francisco Examiner, Washington Examiner, Examiner.com, Weekly
Standard and o<strong>the</strong>r publications—all of which are money-losing and aggressively conservative. Anschutz is an
active patron of religious and conservative causes, including: <strong>the</strong> Discovery Institute, a Seattle-based thinktank
that criticizes evolution and promotes <strong>the</strong> concept of “intelligent design;” <strong>the</strong> Parents Television
Council, a group that protests “indecency” on television; and Foundation for a Better Life, which he founded
in 2000 with a $700 million endowment to deliver a feel-good, family-values message to <strong>the</strong> American
populace.
Environment: The Discovery Institute is a major global-warming denier but Anschutz is hedging his bets.
While <strong>the</strong> Anschutz Corp. is heavily invested in oil and gas, Anschutz also is developing a 2,000-MW,
100,000-acre wind farm in sou<strong>the</strong>rn Wyoming and a 3,000-MW, 900-mile-long transmission line to bring its
power to customers in Sou<strong>the</strong>rn California, Las Vegas and Phoenix. 115
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