Starbucks' new boss charmed by the sirens of opulence

© KAREN BLEIER/AFP/Archives

Starbucks' new CEO has been offered a number of benefits in order to take up his duties on September 9. Brian Niccol, former CEO of Chipotle, having the misfortune of living 1,600km away from his new job, will obviously be able to opt for telework, but not only that. In fact, he was offered to cover all of his expenses, including private jet travel to the company's headquarters in Seattle.

Unsurprisingly, the controversy is growing. While the American coffee chain has been promoting its environmental efforts for several years and encouraging its customers to come with a reusable cup of the brand, the sirens of business seem much more attractive than those of sobriety. Greenwashing is blatant. 

Since administrative employees cannot deviate from certain company rules, such as the need to report at least three days a week to the Seattle headquarters, they had to be accommodating. The company therefore kindly offered its plane. A private jet, planned to travel between Newport Beach, the city where the future Starbucks CEO lives, and the headquarters. Travel for which the one-way trip already represents 1,600 km. This is without counting the other business trips left vaguely mentioned but carried out by means of this private plane.

But that's not all. To get such a recruit, Starbucks has taken out its wallet. The businessman has been promised a base salary of $1.6 million per year. In addition, a welcome bonus awaits him when he takes office, allowing him to enter with $10 million, just to thank him for his presence. In addition, to make the loss of his bonuses and shares at Chipotle less painful, subsidies spread over the long term would allow him to total some $75 million more.

And with all this, investors seem confident for the future of Starbucks. On Tuesday, August 13, its stock jumped 24%: unprecedented for the (not so) green siren, according to Les Échos.

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