Starbucks removes $250,000 annual limit for CEO’s private jet use

Starbucks is allowing its Chief Executive Officer Brian Niccol full use of the company jet for all his travels — including personal holidays. Before September, too, Niccol was allowed to use the Starbucks jet for non-work reasons, but it came with an annual cap of $250,000. If his personal travel exceeded that amount, he had to reimburse the company.FILE PHOTO: Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol has been allowed full use of the company jet for private travel (via REUTERS)In a filing on Monday, Starbucks said the $250,000 annual limit had been removed, chiefly for safety reasons.What Starbucks saidThe coffee chain cited “enhanced media attention” and “the current threat landscape” as reasons for removing the personal use limit.”This change was driven the security study’s recommendation that Mr. Niccol use Company aircraft for all air travel, including personal travel, and the Company’s ongoing monitoring of Mr. Niccol’s security situation,” the filing said, as reported Business Insider.“Following a security review of risks, the Starbucks board of directors made the decision to enhance security measures for Brian,” a company spokesperson said. “This included a decision the board to require Brian to use private aircraft for all travel.”The filing also revealed that Niccol did not have to reimburse Starbucks for the private jet use in 2025. (Also read: Starbucks CEO will fly 1,600 km on company jet to work from office 3 days a week instead of relocating)Starbucks also disclosed that Niccol is provided a personal driver at no cost, with his total security-related expenses amounting to $1.1 million in fiscal 2025. The company spent just under $1 million on his private jet travel.Several American companies are strengthening safety protocols for their C-suite after the killing of Brian Thompson, CEO of U.S. health insurer United Healthcare, in New York in December 2024. Thompson was shot dead in Midtown Manhattan, allegedly Luigi Mangione.