Anschutz founded his own philanthropic foundation, the Anschutz Foundation, in 1984, which donates primarily to nonprofit organizations in Colorado.
The University of Colorado's medical school, to which Anschutz donated $120 million in 2018, bears his name. He pledged $5 million to build a new facility for the Denver Boys and Girls club in 2012. He's also donated to the American Red Cross, the Children's Hospital Denver, and Denver Public Schools.
Anschutz is also known for supporting Republican political causes. In 2018, he gave $33,900 to the National Republican Senatorial Committee, as well as to several Republican state committees, according to Open Secrets. The year before that, he donated $104,600 to the national committee.
He's also given money to Republican candidates Paul Ryan and Orrin Hatch.
In 2017, Anschutz faced criticism over his reported donations to anti-LGBTQ organizations, including the Alliance Defending Freedom, the National Christian Foundation, and the Family Research Council. Tax filings show his foundation donated to the Alliance Defending Freedom and the National Christian Foundation as recently as 2015.
In a rare public statement on the matter in 2017, Anschutz said: "Recent claims published in the media that I am anti-LGBTQ are nothing more than fake news — it is all garbage. I unequivocally support the rights of all people without regard to sexual orientation."
AEG did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment on Anschutz's behalf regarding his reported support of anti-LGBTQ causes.