Starbucks’ new CEO faces backlash over 1,000-mile commute by private jet

Starbucks’ incoming CEO, Brian Niccol, is facing environmental criticisms following the company’s offer for him to commute from his home in Newport Beach, California, to its headquarters in Seattle via a private jet instead of relocating.

In Starbucks’ offer letter to Niccol, the company said, “During your employment with the company, you will not be required to relocate to the company’s headquarters … You agree to commute from your residence to the company’s headquarters (and engage in other business travel) as is required to perform your duties and responsibilities.”

Speaking to CNBC, a Starbucks spokesperson said that Niccol will be expected to work from Starbucks’ Seattle office at least three days a week in line with the company’s hybrid work policies.

Starbucks will also offer Niccol, who was the former CEO of Chipotle, a “small remote office in Newport Beach, as well as an “assistant of your choosing for such office”. Starbucks added that this “office location will be maintained at the expense of the company”.

Following reports of Niccol’s super commute, people were quick to point out the apparent hypocrisy in the use of private jets in the context of the company’s sustainability efforts, including its ban on plastic straws.

“The new Starbucks CEO is ‘supercommuting’ 1,000 miles to Seattle on a private jet to work, so don’t be too harsh on that waitress who gave you a plastic straw when you didn’t want one,” one user wrote on X.

Another person wrote, “Absolutely wild that it cost $85 million in cash/stock to pry this guy from Chipotle and then they’ll just let him thrash the environment to commute 1000 miles 3 times a week on a corporate jet instead of having him move to the PNW,” referring to the Pacific north-west.

Meanwhile, someone else said , “NPR reported the new @Starbucks CEO will commute from his So. Cal home to Seattle & back on the corporate jet three times a week. What a bunch of performative hypocrites with their enviro friendly branding. No company who truly cares about the climate would agree to this.”

Another user echoed similar sentiments, writing , “If this man is commuting regularly on a private jet, do not let @Starbucks convince you they are environmentally conscious. They get on us commoners about our cars but things like private jets and yachts do way more damage to the environment per unit.”

According to a report released by Oxfam last year, the carbon footprint of the 0.1% – including their use of private jets and superyachts – is 77 times higher than the upper level required for global warming to peak at 1.5C. Moreover, private jets are up to 14 times more polluting, per passenger, than commercial planes and 50 times more polluting than trains, according to a 2021 report by the European Federation for Transport and Environment.

The Guardian has reached out to Starbucks for comment.