Starbucks Executive Chairman

Seattle, Washington

Howard Schultz grew up in a public housing project in Canarsie, Brooklyn. He was the first member of his family to go to college, attending Northern Michigan University on a full football scholarship.

In 1982, he joined Starbucks, then a small Seattle chain with a few locations, to lead its operations and marketing. By 1987, with the help of some local investors, he bought the chain and began its furious expansion.

He is also co-founder of venture capital firm Maveron LLC. He recently relinquished the role of Starbucks CEO, but remains the company’s chairman. Earlier this year, he paid $40M for a duplex penthouse in Manhattan’s West Village. — Scott Klocksin