Starbucks Is Letting Brian Niccol Use Company Jet for Private Journey

Starbucks is getting CEO Brian Niccol to make use of the corporate jet for all his travels — and eradicating his quarter-million journey funds cap.

In a Monday submitting, the Seattle-based espresso chain stated that it was altering its settlement on how a lot Niccol may use the corporate’s non-public jet for his private journey. And the primary cause for this variation is to make sure Niccol’s security.

Before September, Niccol’s use of the Starbucks aircraft for non-work causes was topic to an annual cap of $250,000, and if he exceeded that quantity, he needed to reimburse the corporate, the Monday submitting wrote.

But after September, the board eliminated the $250,000 annual cap and changed it with a “more frequent quarterly review of Mr. Niccol’s personal flights by the chair of the Compensation Committee,” per the submitting. Starbucks has not imposed a brand new most spending restrict.

“This change was driven by 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 submitting wrote.

A Starbucks spokesperson stated the corporate’s board lately determined to reinforce safety measures for Niccol, following a evaluation of threats and dangers to the chief govt.

Following the evaluation, the board has made it a requirement to make use of non-public plane for all his travels, the spokesperson added.

Last 12 months, Starbucks was hiring for a pilot to fly its non-public Gulfstream jets. In the job itemizing, the corporate stated it might pay the pilot a wage between $207,000 and $360,300.

The submitting additionally wrote that Niccol was paid about $31 million in compensation in 2025, a drop from the $95.8 million he was paid in 2024. His 2024 compensation was boosted by $90.2 million in inventory awards he obtained as a part of his signing contract.

Niccol began on the firm in September 2024, transferring over from Chipotle. He has helmed the chain’s “Back to Starbucks” turnaround plan, an effort to show round a number of quarters of poor outcomes due to a declining buyer expertise.

His provide letter in August 2024 confirmed that Starbucks had permitted him to make use of the corporate jet to commute from his house in California to the corporate’s headquarters in Seattle. In July final 12 months, Business Insider learnt that Starbucks had arrange a satellite tv for pc workplace near Niccol’s residence in Newport Beach.