Heightened security for Starbucks CEO puts spotlight on growing safety concerns for industry executives

Published February 8, 2026 7:00am ET



Starbucks’s move to expand security for its CEO underscores how an increasingly anti-corporate environment is posing mounting challenges for high-profile figures.

Starbucks ratcheted up security spending by roughly 760% last year and disclosed in January that CEO Brian Niccol can use the company’s private jet for all travel, ending a $250,000 cap on personal use. The move came in response to an independent security review that cited rising “credible” threats to Niccol, heightened media attention on the CEO, and the broader threat environment.

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