Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol’s compensation falls 68% to $31 million in 2025

Starbucks Corp CEO Brian Niccol’s total compensation fell sharply in 2025, a year after he received one of the largest executive pay packages in the company’s history to lure him from Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc.

According to a Bloomberg report citing company filings, Niccol’s total compensation stood at $31 million in 2025, down from $96 million in 2024. His 2025 pay package included a $5 million bonus and nearly $20 million in stock awards. In contrast, his 2024 compensation featured stock awards exceeding $90 million.

Niccol took charge as CEO of Starbucks in September 2024, tasked with reviving growth at the global coffee chain, which operates tens of thousands of stores across more than 80 countries. His turnaround blueprint, dubbed “Back to Starbucks,” has begun delivering early signs of progress, though investor confidence remains mixed.

Starbucks is scheduled to report its fourth-quarter earnings on Wednesday. In the previous quarter, the company posted a better-than-expected revenue increase, driven by improved demand in China, menu changes, and higher investments in labor and store operations that helped offset slower consumer spending in the US.

Since taking the top job, Niccol has pushed for a simplified menu, freshly baked food, faster service, and cups featuring handwritten messages. He has also sought to refresh store ambience, aiming for “greater texture, warmth and layered design.”

The coffee chain is additionally piloting a lower-cost ‘coffee house of the future’ format, featuring 32 seats and a drive-thru, with the first openings expected in 2026.

Niccol brings over 25 years of experience across leadership, marketing, and operations roles in major quick-service restaurant brands. Prior to Starbucks, he served as CEO of Chipotle Mexican Grill and Taco Bell, and held leadership roles at Pizza Hut, a Yum! Brands division. He began his career at Procter & Gamble and currently sits on the board of Walmart Inc.