This week, Starbucks Coffee announced that it would let its CEO, Brian Niccol, have unfettered and free access to the company jet for personal trips as a safety precaution. The change came after the company conducted a “security review of risks” and “the Starbucks Board of Directors made the decision to enhance security measures for Brian,” a spokesperson for the company said. Starbucks removed a previous $250,000 annual cap on personal jet use in September 2025. Brian Niccol was appointed CEO in Sept. 2024 and has worked to combat slumping sales. “Private jet use quickly becomes part of the narrative of a bloated cost structure when investors are upset with how a company is performing,” the board member stressed to me.