Coachella, the annual music festival in Indio, CA, known for its flower crowns, may not be as liberal as it seems. According to The Washington Post, the Anschutz Family Foundation reportedly donated almost $200,000 to anti-LGBTQ groups between 2010 and 2013. The foundation is owned by Philip Anschutz, 77, who also happens to run Anschutz Entertainment Group, which funds the music festival Coachella.
So the man behind the money for Coachella may not support LGBTQ rights. Schutz is one among several named by Freedom For All Americans as an "Enemy of Equality." In addition, the septuagenarian has been called a "financier of climate change denial groups" by Greenpeace. The Denver native has an estimated net worth of over $12 billion. His entertainment group, AEG, has been a partial owner of Coachella since 2001.
As Teen Vogue points out, Schutz has never been an outspoken supporter of all things liberal. In 2009, Politico published a piece on the billionaire's "conservative agenda," although there are very few attributable quotes to prove said agenda. (The publication also calls him "famously reclusive.)
This information about Anschutz comes on the heels of the announcement of Coachella's 2017 lineup. The headliners this year are Kendrick Lamar, Radiohead, and Beyoncé.
Anschutz Family Foundation did not immediately respond to Refinery29's request for comment.
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