Bernie Sanders Criticizes Starbucks CEO's Multimillion-Dollar Pay

Independent Senator Bernie Sanders criticized the compensation package of Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol, highlighting a stark disparity between executive pay and the wages of unionized workers. The criticism follows reports that Niccol earned $31 million in 2025, marking the highest annual compensation for any fast-food or fast-casual restaurant executive in the United States.

Niccol was hired in August 2024 to replace Laxman Narasimhan during a period of company decline characterized by falling stock prices and revenue losses in China. During his initial four-month transition period in 2024, Niccol received $96 million, a sum primarily intended to compensate him for forfeited shares from his previous role at Chipotle.

While Sanders characterized the payments as evidence of greed, some finance experts argued that such high compensation is necessary to attract leadership capable of executing a corporate turnaround for a company in distress.