Richard Schulze is a man of superlatives. “I like to break ties,” he declares. The octogenarian is still bringing efficiency and effectiveness to everything he does, striving for the incomparable. While retirement at his age is very much an option, he continues doing his best work with what he calls his “God-given talents.” Schulze was born and raised in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The oldest of four siblings, he has fond memories of his childhood. At age 7, he started honing his entrepreneurial skills, shoveling the neighbors’ sidewalks or cutting their grass—depending on the season. He did not charge for his work but gladly accepted tips. At age 11, Schulze took on a paper route, quickly realizing that if he placed the paper between the front and screen doors, he received larger gratuities. His business savvy enabled him to save $500 to purchase a used Pontiac to drive his date to prom when only 15 years old.
One of his other early jobs was stocking shelves at a local dry-goods store. When he suggested a more productive way to complete his tasks (even offering to do the necessary groundwork), the store’s longtime manager asked, “We’ve been doing it this way for years—why would we change?” Schulze promptly quit, recounting he could not work in an environment so resistant to improvement.
Schulze signed up for the National Guard after graduating from high school. His service dates precluded him from attending college. Upon reflection, he realizes he learned important attributes from the Guard, those that helped him in business: responsibility, accountability, and teamwork.
After his service, Schulze joined his father in the electronics business. In 1966, he founded an audio equipment chain—Sound of Music—in Saint Paul. After a liquidation sale following a natural disaster, Schulze observed first-hand how consumers were eager to buy electronics at low prices without interference from aggressive sales personnel. This realization helped shape the foundation for what would become the Best Buy empire.
Schulze served as chairman and CEO of the international chain for more than four decades. He now spends his time concentrating on other business opportunities and following through on a commitment to donate $1 billion to charities and educational initiatives (including many in Southwest Florida) through the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation.
A Golf Course and Steak House
For many years, Schulze had a dream to own a golf course. When attempts to purchase one in Southwest Florida did not happen, he looked elsewhere. “I did not think it would be the West Indies,” he shares. In 2020, he purchased the CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa, built in 1999 and resting upon 380 acres of oceanfront land on the British overseas territory of Anguilla. The extensive property boasted Rendezvous Beach (“the most beautiful one on the island,” says Schulze), 180 rooms, a spa, a variety of bars and restaurants, and an 18-hole golf course designed by Greg Norman.
“The place was flattened in 2017 when Hurricane Irma struck,” Schulze explains. Three years later, the island and the resort were still in need of major repairs. After he acquired the property, Schulze closed it for a year and a half, rebuilding while keeping all 330 hotel workers employed during the process. He focused on fixing what was broken, upgrading the property, reconfiguring and adding amenities, and training staff in the roles they would eventually take on. He rebranded, too, renaming the resort Aurora Anguilla Resort & Golf Club, choosing a vivid orange (for the logo and signage) to complement the bold, white Mediterranean-style architecture.
Schulze—a former part owner of scenic Pebble Beach Golf Links in California and an occasional golfer at the immaculately maintained Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia—added a nine-hole golf course (a short course with incredible vistas) to the resort. This course, named Avalon Links, was honored as the best nine-hole golf course in the Caribbean by World Golf Awards.
Another dream for Schulze was to own a traditional North American–style steak house. Aurora Anguilla’s clubhouse provided the perfect location for D Richard’s, which Schulze says is “the only steak house on the island,” and a place to witness amazing sunsets.
To make the resort attractive to families, Schulze designed and built a 500-person amphitheater for both movies and performances; he added pickleball and tennis courts, a basketball court, a water park with a lazy river, a rock-climbing wall, six different restaurants (including D Richard’s), and additional features. Schulze’s wife, Karon, who works at the resort alongside him, was instrumental in securing a catamaran service that started in December, offering two trips daily: a morning snorkel with lunch cooked aboard and an evening sunset cruise.
Schulze was inspired to make these family-friendly additions. “When the kids are happy, so is mom—and so is dad,” he remarks. “I’m busy building what people want. For four decades I’ve learned it is all about the customer. If you do what is right and best for them, you win every time.” Schulze is driven by providing value and overpowering expectations. “I will give you what you want at a price you won’t expect,” he adds. To that end, he is conveying what he learned from his days of running a retail behemoth to hotel operation and management. Schulze reports Aurora Anguilla is fully booked through April 2026.
Schulze never imagined he would be a hotelier. When he met and married Karon, she took a keen interest in his business. They travel together to Anguilla once a month, and when on property, they are extremely hands-on. The pair lead company-wide staff meetings and can be spotted throughout the resort, which now boasts 660 employees. Dressed in the resort’s signature orange, they greet guests, asking about their experiences, collecting feedback.
A Six-Star Rating
The hotel industry, in Schulze’s opinion, is not enormously inventive. He, however, is working to incorporate key innovations. One example is implementing a six-star rating system for his resort. The sixth star refers to the employees. “I feel blessed we have so many great people,” says Schulze, who seeks to care for guests and employees—just as he did at Best Buy.
To do this, Schulze and his team spent significant time learning about Anguilla. Of the approximately 15,000 island residents, many are either retired or students; as for the rest, a vast majority work in the hospitality industry.
Schulze, who believes in the importance of philanthropy, has always made it a priority to give back—especially to the communities in which he lives or operates a business. In Anguilla, he has invested in the local hospital not only for the benefit of residents but also so hotel guests can feel secure knowing medical care is accessible, should it be required. “We upgraded and updated the hospital for greater efficiency, including donating an MRI machine,” details Schulze.
“We also asked how we could improve the state of education on the island,” says Schulze. (His U.S.-based charitable foundation is rooted in his belief that a good education, a supportive family, and a strong work ethic prepare children for a successful future.) Schulze now provides hot lunches to 1,100 elementary-age children daily. Through an intern program at the island’s only public high school, students are given the opportunity to spend 30-day rotations across 10 different resort departments, ranging from accounting to golf management to food service. Schulze explains the goal is to get high school kids excited about the hospitality industry. He is also hoping to instill a work paradigm that stresses professionalism and the importance of delivering results in a timely fashion all day, every day. In its quest to offer top-rated training, Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers has recently partnered with the resort, using it as a template for their hospitality program.
When asked about his stay at the resort, Naples resident Michael Benson, managing partner of Benson Blackburn, gave a glowing review. “Aurora Anguilla is first class. My wife, Shirley, and I visited for a few days and loved the golf course, spa, suite, pool area, and selection of restaurants. The food and staff were outstanding.”
Every afternoon a one-page sheet is delivered to all guest rooms, providing weather details for the following day, as well as scannable QR codes to make reservations for the spa, meals, or activities (such as a tour of the hydroponic farm or a sushi-making class). The message at the top of the sheet invites guests to “seize the opportunities awaiting the new dawn.” It sounds just like something the resort’s owner would say—as he shares an ideal of living superlatively.
Story Credits:
Shot on location at Aurora Anguilla Resort & Golf Club, Anguilla, British Overseas Territories
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