New Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol won’t be relocating to the company’s Seattle headquarters in anticipation of starting his new role next month. According to Niccol’s offer letter, Starbucks Corporation is allowing the Chairman and CEO to commute weekly from his residence in Newport Beach, California, to Seattle.
“During your employment with the Company, you will not be required to relocate to the Company’s headquarters (currently in Seattle, Washington),” the letter, dated Aug. 11, specified. “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.”
As for how Niccol will be traveling, Starbucks is providing him with his own corporate jet to commute from one city to another at his own convenience. Niccol will be eligible to use the company aircraft for “business-related travel in accordance with the Company’s travel policy” and “travel between your city of residence and the Company’s headquarters in Seattle, Washington,” the letter added. The jet can also be used for his “personal travel” as long as it’s “up to a maximum amount of $250,000 per year,” according to company policy.
Niccol’s transportation perk has faced backlash from a handful of critics who pointed what some believe to be Starbucks’ blatant hypocrisy. The company, which branded itself as an environmentally sustainable business, recently redesigned its cold drinks cups to use less plastic and eliminated plastic straws. Starbucks also set a multi-decade commitment to reduce its carbon, water and waste footprints by half by 2030.
Jet travel is a major source of carbon emissions, especially compared to commercial flights. A 2023 study by the Institute for Policy Studies found that private jets emit at least 10 times more pollutants per passenger than commercial planes. Carbon emissions from aviation have also reached “80% of their pre-pandemic peak,” according to statistics from the International Energy Agency.