Schulze Family Foundation, led by billionaire businessman Richard Schulze, has donated hundreds of millions of dollars to medical, education and human services, primarily in Minnesota and Southwest Florida, since its beginning in 2004. Now Schulze, the founder of Best Buy and owner of Aurora Anguilla Beach Resort & Golf Club, wants do the same for the citizens of Anguilla, more than 560 of whom work at his resort. Schulze acquired Aurora Beach Resort – formerly CuisinArt Resort – in December of 2020 from the estate of Conair Corp., Co-Founder, Lee Rizzuto, who died in December 2017. .
“The secret sauce (at the resort) is our people,’’ said Schulze, who this past Nov. 11 opened the Greg Norman-designed Avalon Links short course to go with the Norman Signature International course that re-opened this past April. “I just love every one of them.’’
It only takes a few minutes at the 380-acre resort on Anguilla’s southwest side to know why Schulze feels the way he does about his employees. And it’s those employees and feelings that has inspired him to give back to the island that sits approximately 200 miles east of Puerto Rico.
The Schulze Foundation, for example, has bought Anguilla hospital’s first MRI machine; its feeding hot breakfasts and lunches to local school children; working with various community organizations to buy lap top computers for underprivileged children; and is opening a neighborhood health clinic to serve uninsured people throughout Anguilla.
The Foundation also is working to upgrade the island’s hospital facility, which was severely damaged during Hurricane Irma in 2017.
“I’m a big believer in giving back and doing the right thing for the community,’’ Schulze said. “I’m hopeful that all these steps that we take as a company and ownership plays a bit off everybody else who is here and says, ‘Step up and do your part to make the community better.’’’