Howard Schultz will be stepping down as executive chairman of Starbucks at the end of June, and is hinting he may run for political office, including possibly the presidency.
“I want to be truthful with you without creating more speculative headlines,” he told New York Times. “For some time now, I have been deeply concerned about our country — the growing division at home and our standing in the world. One of the things I want to do in my next chapter is to figure out if there is a role I can play in giving back.”
When asked directly if he was considering a run for the White House, Schultz said he will “think about a range of options, and that could include public service.”
A year ago, Schultz privately outlined his plan to leave the company to the Starbucks board, as he continues to become increasingly vocal on political issues. However, Schultz continues to insist that he has not made any decisions yet.
The 64-year-old said the board was going to announce his departure in May, but the plan was derailed when controversy ensued following an incident in a Philadelphia Starbucks where two black men were arrested for loitering in a Starbucks without making a purchase.
In response, Schultz held a program last week where Starbucks around the U.S. would close its doors for four hours for mandatory racial bias training.
