Philip Frederick Anschutz is an American billionaire businessman and conservative philanthropist born on December 28, 1939, in Russell, Kansas, to Fred C. Anschutz, an oil wildcatter, and Marian Pfister Anschutz. He grew up in a modest environment in Kansas and began his career in the oil industry after briefly attending the University of Kansas, where he studied for three years without earning a degree. Anschutz significantly expanded the fortune his father built, starting in the 1960s by acquiring oil leases and drilling rights, notably striking oil in the early 1970s with the discovery of the Anschutz Ranch East oil field in Wyoming, which allowed him to expand into other sectors. By the 1980s, he had diversified into railroads, purchasing the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad out of bankruptcy and later acquiring the Southern Pacific Railroad, selling assets to Union Pacific. His business empire grew to include major stakes in energy, telecommunications (founding Qwest Communications), and real estate.

In the 1990s and 2000s, Anschutz ventured into entertainment and sports, founding Major League Soccer (MLS) and the Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), which owns venues like the Crypto.com Arena (formerly Staples Center) in Los Angeles, promotes major concerts and events, and holds investments in sports teams including the Los Angeles Kings (NHL) and LA Galaxy (MLS), as well as a former co-owner stake in the Los Angeles Lakers (NBA). His portfolio also spans travel, movies, theaters, arenas, and the film industry through Walden Media, which focuses on family-friendly and educational content. In media, Anschutz owns Clarity Media Group, which publishes the conservative-leaning Washington Examiner and Gazette newspapers, acquired in 2004 by purchasing its parent company. He is known for funding right-wing causes, as a major conservative philanthropist with donations focused on conservative initiatives, Republican candidates, education, and the arts, including significant contributions to organizations like the Discovery Institute and the Anschutz Medical Campus at the University of Colorado.

Anschutz is one of the wealthiest individuals in the U.S., with a net worth estimated at over $15 billion as of recent reports. He is often cited as one of the most powerful and quietest figures in American corporate history, maintaining a low public profile while controlling a vast network of infrastructure and entertainment properties. He has faced controversies, including criticism for his company's labor practices and his past funding of anti-LGBTQ initiatives, though he has since distanced himself from some positions, and remains active in business with AEG as a cornerstone of his empire, continuing to shape conservative media landscapes.