Starbucks has disclosed that CEO Brian Niccol received total compensation of $31 million in 2025, significantly lower than the $96 million package he earned in 2024. The decline reflects weaker stock performance and reduced performance-based incentives.
Starbucks Corp. has revealed that its Chief Executive Officer Brian Niccol earned total compensation of $31 million in 2025, according to a regulatory filing released on Monday. This marks a sharp decline from 2024, when Niccol received $96 million, including a stock award worth over $90 million.
The higher 2024 compensation was part of a package designed to attract Niccol from Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc., where he previously served as CEO.
According to the filing, Niccol’s 2025 pay package includes:
$5 million bonus
Close to $20 million in stock awards
The remaining compensation consists of salary and other standard executive benefits.
In comparison, Niccol’s 2024 compensation totalled $96 million, driven largely by a stock award exceeding $90 million. That year marked one of the largest executive pay packages in the restaurant industry, reflecting Starbucks’ efforts to secure leadership during a challenging period.
Brian Niccol took the helm of Starbucks in September 2024. He inherited a company facing slowing growth, operational complexity, and investor skepticism.
Niccol introduced a turnaround strategy called “Back to Starbucks”, aimed at:
Simplifying operations
Improving customer experience
Revitalising store traffic
Reigniting global growth
The strategy has begun to show early signs of progress, though Niccol has yet to fully convince investors of a sustained turnaround.
Starbucks stock fell 7.7% in 2025, marking the company’s fourth consecutive annual decline.
Due to the drop in share price, Niccol missed out on performance-based compensation, significantly reducing his overall pay package for the fiscal year.
In the most recent quarter, Starbucks posted comparable sales growth for the first time in a year and a half.
The improvement was driven by strong results in international operations, offering a positive signal amid ongoing challenges in the company’s core North American market.
Starbucks is scheduled to report fourth-quarter earnings on Wednesday morning.
This will be followed by an investor presentation on Thursday, where analysts expect Starbucks to outline financial targets for the first time since Brian Niccol became CEO.
These disclosures are expected to play a key role in shaping investor confidence going forward.