Howard Schultz
Businessman who built Starbucks into a global coffee empire.
The original uploader was Sillygwailo at English Wikipedia . · CC BY 2.5
Howard D. Schultz (born July 19, 1953) is an American businessman and author best known as the chairman and chief executive officer of Starbucks, where he led the company's transformation from a regional coffee roaster into the world's largest coffee-house chain. His leadership shaped coffee culture in Seattle, the United States, and internationally, and he is often described as the “Ray Kroc of his generation.”
- born
- July 19, 1953
- field
- Business, author
- nationality
- American
- known_for
- Chairman and CEO of Starbucks; expanding the company into the largest coffee-house chain globally
Quick Facts
- Birth Date
- 1953-07-19
- Birth Place
- New York City, U.S.
- Education
- Northern Michigan University (BA)
- Occupation
- Businessman · author
- Known For
- Chairman and CEO of Starbucks and co-ownership of Seattle SuperSonics
- Term
- 1986–2000 / 2008–2017 / 2022–2023 (as interim CEO)
- Predecessor
- Jim Donald (second term) / Kevin Johnson (third term)
- Successor
- Orin C. Smith (first term) / Kevin Johnson (second term) / Laxman Narasimhan (third term)
- Political Party
- Independent (2019–present)
- Other Party
- Democratic (before 2019)
- Spouse
- Sheri Kersch · 1982
- Children
- 2
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Howard D. Schultz was born on July 19, 1953, to Ashkenazi Jewish parents, Fred and Elaine Schultz, in Brooklyn, New York. He grew up in the Canarsie public housing projects; Schultz describes his family as poor, though childhood contemporaries recall a middle-class upbringing. He graduated from Canarsie High School in 1971 and earned a B.A. in communications from Northern Michigan University in 1975, where he was a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity. After working as a salesman for Xerox and as a general manager for Hammarplast, he joined Starbucks in 1982 as director of retail operations and marketing.
In 1985, Schultz left Starbucks to open his own coffee shop, Il Giornale, after the company declined his proposal to serve espresso beverages. He raised $400,000, including $150,000 from Starbucks, and opened the first Il Giornale store in 1986. Two years later, he purchased the Starbucks retail unit for $3.8 million and rebranded Il Giornale as Starbucks. Under his leadership, the company went public in 1992 with a $271 million valuation, doubled its store count, and expanded aggressively. Schultz stepped down as CEO in 2000 but returned in 2008 during the financial crisis, firing executives, closing hundreds of stores, and enforcing fair trade standards. He served as interim CEO from 2022 to 2023.
Reader's Guide
Howard Schultz's significance lies in his role as the architect of Starbucks' global expansion and its influence on coffee culture. He took the company public in 1992, used the valuation to double store count, and navigated coffee wars with competitors. His return during the 2008 financial crisis involved mass firings, store closures, and a renewed focus on fair trade and ethical sourcing. Schultz also expanded into Chinese markets, helping reconcile tea culture with coffee consumption. Beyond Starbucks, he owned the Seattle SuperSonics from 2001 to 2006, wrote four business books, and is an outspoken neoliberal who considered independent presidential runs in 2012, 2016, and 2020 but declined. His Schultz Family Foundation supports military veterans and youth employment. Schultz's legacy is tied to the second wave of coffee culture and the creation of a global coffee-house chain, though his tenure included controversies over employee conditions and tipping policies.
Did You Know?
- Schultz visited over 500 espresso bars in Milan before opening his first coffee shop.
- He owned the Seattle SuperSonics basketball team from 2001 to 2006.
- Schultz was named the 209th-richest person in the U.S. by Forbes with a net worth of $4.3 billion as of October 2020.
- He launched the Starbucks College Achievement Plan with Arizona State University, offering free tuition to eligible employees.
Gallery
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Howard Schultz?
Howard D. Schultz is an American businessman and author, born July 19, 1953, best known for serving as chairman and CEO of Starbucks. He is the figure fans credit with turning a small regional coffee roaster into the planet's largest coffee-house chain.
What is Howard Schultz's role or 'power' in the story?
Schultz functions as the architect of the Starbucks empire, guiding its growth from a Seattle-based roaster into a worldwide coffee brand. His leadership is what reshaped everyday coffee culture across the United States and abroad.
How does Howard Schultz's story end?
In the canon, his arc closes with him still at the helm as chairman and CEO, having fully realized the vision of a global coffee-house network. He is left as the definitive builder of Starbucks' international footprint.
Why is Howard Schultz important to the franchise?
He is the singular creative force behind the brand's expansion, and fans frequently compare him to Ray Kroc for scaling a single concept into a global institution. Without his stewardship, the story's central transformation simply would not exist.
What is Howard Schultz's background before the main events?
Born in 1953 in the United States, Schultz entered the business world and eventually gravitated toward the coffee industry in Seattle. That local foothold became the springboard for what would grow into a worldwide coffee empire.
More in Wealthy Misfortunes 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record