Origins & Early Life

Howard D. Schultz (born July 19, 1953) is an American businessman and author who was the chairman and chief executive officer of Starbucks from 1986 to 2000, and from 2008 to 2017, and interim CEO from 2022 to 2023. Schultz owned the Seattle SuperSonics basketball team from 2001 to 2006. Schultz began working at Starbucks in 1982.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

He later left and opened Il Giornale, a specialty coffeeshop that merged with Starbucks during the late 1980s. Under Schultz, the company established a large network of stores which has influenced coffee culture in Seattle, the U.S., and internationally. Following large-scale distribution deals, Starbucks became the largest coffee-house chain in the world. Schultz took the company public in 1992 and used a $271 million valuation to double their store count in a series of highly publicized coffee wars. He stepped down as CEO in 2000, succeeded by Orin Smith.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Due to the rapid expansion of Starbucks under Schultz's leadership, he has been described as the “Ray Kroc of his generation”. During the 2008 financial crisis, Schultz returned as chief executive. Succeeding Jim Donald, Schultz led a mass firing of executives and employees and shuttered hundreds of stores...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Alex Gibney — Contemporary (Born in 1953) (1953): Acclaimed American documentary filmmaker known for investigative works on power and belief.
• Andrew Wiles — Contemporary (Born in 1953) (1953): English mathematician renowned for proving Fermat's Last Theorem.
• Benazir Bhutto — Contemporary (Born in 1953) (1953): Pioneering Pakistani stateswoman, first woman PM in a Muslim-majority nation.
• Aung San — Shared historical date (07-19 · Died) (1947): Burmese politician and independence activist, considered the 'Father of the Nation' of Myanmar.
• Baybars — Shared historical date (07-19 · Born) (1223): Mamluk Sultan who defeated the Mongols at Ain Jalut and crushed the Crusaders.
• Betty Wright — Historical peer (Born in 1953) (1953): Iconic American soul and R&B singer known for her powerful vocal style.
• Bud Tribble — Historical peer (Born in 1953) (1953): Pioneering software technologist known for the original Apple Macintosh and object-oriented design.
• Adolph Caesar — Historical peer (Died in 1986) (1986): Acclaimed American actor known for his deep voice and Off-Broadway staple status.
• Amanda Bynes — Historical peer (Born in 1986) (1986): American retired actress known for Nickelodeon and teen comedies.
• Abraham Pais — Historical peer (Died in 2000) (2000): Pioneering physicist and acclaimed science historian of modern physics.
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