Howard Schultz
From Brooklyn Housing Projects to Building Starbucks
Net Worth
$4B
Born
July 19, 1953 (age 72)
Country
United States
Occupation
Former Chairman and CEO of Starbucks, Entrepreneur, Author
Gender
male
Generation
Boomer
Marital Status
married
Children
2
Single Parent Household
No
Education
Bachelor's
University
Northern Michigan University
Industries
business, education
Wealth Category
billionaire
Wealth Origin
self-made
First-Gen Wealth
Yes
Overcame
- • Grew up in public housing in Brooklyn
- • Father lost job as truck driver with no benefits or insurance
- • Family struggled financially throughout childhood
- • Rejected by banks 242 times when trying to buy Starbucks
- • Forced out as CEO in 2000; returned in 2008 during crisis
Howard Schultz is the entrepreneur who transformed Starbucks from a small Seattle coffee roaster into a global phenomenon with over 35,000 stores worldwide. Growing up in a Brooklyn housing project, he became the first in his family to attend college. His vision of Starbucks as a 'third place' between home and work revolutionized how people consume coffee and created one of the most recognizable brands in the world.
Career Timeline
Notable Quotes
"In life, you can blame a lot of people and you can wallow in self-pity, or you can pick yourself up and say, 'Okay, that happened, let's get on with it.'"
"Any business today that embraces the status quo as an operating principle is going to be on a death march."
"We are all vulnerable in some way. We are all insecure about something. And I think that's a good thing. It keeps us grounded and humble."
"The necessary ingredient of success—risk—was not something I shied away from."
"Whatever your culture, your values, your guiding principles, you have to take steps to inculcate them in the organization early on."