Starbucks slammed for hiring new CEO Brian Niccol who will commute 1,000 miles on private jet

Newly minted Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol is having a rough start to his tenure as the head of the coffee giant. Environmental groups are slamming the company and Niccol for his planned 1,000-mile private jet commute from his home in Newport Beach, CA to the company headquarters in Seattle, WA .

According to his offer document , Niccol will be expected to work in the Seattle offices at least three days a week in line with the company's hybrid work policy. The company will also offer Niccol a remote office in Newport Beach as well as an assistant for said office. This will all be at the company’s expense.

The news of Niccol’s commute quickly drew the ire of environmentalists and the general public alike as many were quick to point out the hypocrisy of a company that touts sustainability while allowing their new CEO to commute such a long distance.

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Many in pointing out the hypocrisy referenced Starbucks’s decision to switch from plastic straws to paper ones in an effort to reduce the impact of plastic pollution. One user wrote on X “And here you think you can save the planet with paper cups and paper straws.”

Another wrote “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.”

Many on X were expressing similar sentiments “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.”

Niccol, who served as the CEO of Chipotle since 2018 has an estimated net worth of over $60 million. This move from Chipotle to Starbucks will net Niccol a reported $113 million according to the offer document filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The average Starbucks barista is $15.42 per hour according to Indeed.

According to a report released by Oxfam back in 2022, the carbon footprint of 0.1% is 77 times higher than the highest level needed to halt global warming at 1.5C. This includes the use of private jets and super yachts.