Forbes Falsely Tags SF Examiner Owner Phil Anschutz As Elite Pro Cyclist
Categories: Sports
A profile appearing in the Nov. 8 issue of Forbes magazine suggests that Phil Anschutz, the 70-year-old billionaire oil, rail, telecom and entertainment barron who owns the San Francisco Examiner, is also an elite international athlete, besting professional competitors less than one third his age.
"He has run in marathons and ridden in bike races (like the Amgen Tour of California, an event produced by his entertainment company)," said the profile, which also noted he's just sold oil and gas fields in Pennsylvania and North Dakota for $3 billion.
Could glossy financial journalism have finally found its Bruce Wayne industrialist renaissance man? Seemingly so: The Tour of California is an invitational event so elite that it excludes some top professional riders because they're not good enough. Would the event's roster really include the 70-year-old owner of AEG, the company that promotes the race?
Not quite.
"Obviously, Phil did not ride the Tour of California," said Michael Roth, VP of Communications for AEG, the Anschutz-owned company that puts on the race.
Anschutz did compete in the Tour of California's "Chairman's Ride," an event the promoter describes as a "fun ride" run as a sideline to the main event -- think a more active version of an MLB tailgate party, but with more exercise.
"All of the particpants in the chairman's ride are also experienced cyclists who participate in rides on a regular basis," said Roth.
"He has run in marathons and ridden in bike races (like the Amgen Tour of California, an event produced by his entertainment company)," said the profile, which also noted he's just sold oil and gas fields in Pennsylvania and North Dakota for $3 billion.
Could glossy financial journalism have finally found its Bruce Wayne industrialist renaissance man? Seemingly so: The Tour of California is an invitational event so elite that it excludes some top professional riders because they're not good enough. Would the event's roster really include the 70-year-old owner of AEG, the company that promotes the race?
Not quite.
"Obviously, Phil did not ride the Tour of California," said Michael Roth, VP of Communications for AEG, the Anschutz-owned company that puts on the race.
Anschutz did compete in the Tour of California's "Chairman's Ride," an event the promoter describes as a "fun ride" run as a sideline to the main event -- think a more active version of an MLB tailgate party, but with more exercise.
"All of the particpants in the chairman's ride are also experienced cyclists who participate in rides on a regular basis," said Roth.
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