The Los Angeles Times spoke with Lichfield in June 2003 about what made him so successful in what the article refers as "tough-love" academies. He was 49 at the time and shared six children with his wife. There were also 11 schools operating in the WWASP system, which was but one part of his portfolio that also included "everything from restaurants to radio stations."

"We’re here getting kids off drugs and other evils," he told the outlet. "Do I believe, being a God-believing person, that the adversary to all good is going to sit back and let that happen without a major unleashing of dark forces? No, I don’t."

Lichfield claimed to only be an adviser and investor in the schools, but his so-called adversaries said he was managing them pretty closely. Although many believe this is the case, what Lichfield actually did was keep his businesses in the family.