Howard Schultz and George Soros
Howard Schultz and George Soros are two of the best-known American billionaires, but they made their money in very different worlds. Schultz built his fortune by turning Starbucks from a small Seattle coffee retailer into a global coffeehouse chain. Soros built his through financial markets, above all the Quantum Fund, then gave away a large part of it through the Open Society Foundations. There is no verified personal, family or business partnership between them. The only documented link is indirect: a political group Soros had donated to later filed a complaint about Schultz’s exploration of an independent presidential run, and the Federal Election Commission dismissed it.
Who Is Howard Schultz?
Howard Schultz is an American businessman and philanthropist, best known as the longtime leader of Starbucks. He was born on 19 July 1953 in Brooklyn, New York, and grew up in public housing. He was the first person in his family to graduate from college, earning a communications degree from Northern Michigan University in 1975 on a football scholarship.
Schultz joined Starbucks in 1982, when it was a small Seattle retailer selling coffee beans. A trip to Italy convinced him Americans would embrace espresso bars as a “third place” between home and work. He left in 1985 to found Il Giornale, and in 1987 he raised $3.8 million from investors, bought Starbucks’s name, roasting plant and stores, and adopted the Starbucks name.
He was Starbucks chief executive in 1986–2000, 2008–2017, and interim chief executive in 2022–2023, growing it from 11 stores to more than 35,000. He stepped down as executive chairman in 2018 and is now chairman emeritus. He co-founded the venture firm Maveron in 1998 with Dan Levitan, and with his wife, Sheri Schultz, the Schultz Family Foundation, which helps veterans and young people find work. In 2019 he explored an independent presidential run, then ruled it out.
How Much Is Howard Schultz Worth?
Forbes estimated Schultz’s net worth at $3.4 billion on 10 October 2026; other trackers put it at about $3.5 billion to $3.65 billion. The figure is an estimate, not officially confirmed, and moves with the Starbucks share price. His wealth comes mainly from Starbucks equity. Starbucks’s market value of more than $100 billion is not his personal wealth.
Who Is George Soros?
George Soros is a Hungarian-American investor and philanthropist, best known for Soros Fund Management, the Quantum Fund and the Open Society Foundations. He was born György Schwartz on 12 August 1930 in Budapest. As a teenager he survived the Nazi occupation of Hungary, and in 1947 he moved to the United Kingdom, studying philosophy at the London School of Economics.
After working in merchant banks, Soros set up his first hedge fund, Double Eagle, in 1969, and founded Soros Fund Management in 1970. Double Eagle later became the Quantum Fund. On 16 September 1992, Black Wednesday, he short-sold about $10 billion worth of pounds sterling, betting the pound was overvalued. The trade made about $1 billion and earned him the nickname “The Man Who Broke the Bank of England”.
Soros later turned Soros Fund Management into a family office managing about $28 billion for his family and the Open Society Foundations — not his personal net worth. He has donated more than $32 billion to the foundations, including $18 billion in 2017. In 2023 he handed leadership of his philanthropic network to his son Alexander Soros, and in 2025 he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
How Much Is George Soros Worth?
Forbes estimated Soros’s net worth at about $8.6 billion in September 2026; other trackers put it at $7.5 billion to $9 billion. Earlier figures of about $25 billion predate his large gifts and should not be quoted as his current wealth.
What Connects Them?
There is no verified personal, family or business connection between them. No reliable record identifies them as relatives, co-founders or business partners, and no meeting between them has been verified.
The one documented link is indirect. American Bridge 21st Century is a Democratic-aligned political committee that carries out opposition research. Soros was one of its large donors, giving $2 million in the 2016 election cycle and a further $380,000 by April 2018.
In February 2019, as Schultz explored an independent presidential run, American Bridge filed a Federal Election Commission complaint, recorded as Matter Under Review 7567, alleging he should have registered and reported as a candidate. The complainants were American Bridge and its president, Bradley Beychok — not Soros. There is no evidence Soros directed the complaint. The commission voted 6–0 in 2021 to dismiss it. That is the full extent of the verified connection: Soros funded a group, and that group later acted concerning Schultz.
Comparing Them
Schultz is an operator and brand-builder: his wealth grew with the company he ran. Soros is an investor: his wealth grew with market returns. Schultz, born in 1953, is 73 in 2026; Soros, born in 1930, is 96. One grew up in working-class Brooklyn, the other in Budapest.
Their philanthropy also differs. Schultz’s foundation focuses on US veterans and young people seeking work; Soros’s foundations work globally on education, human rights and democratic institutions, with more than $32 billion given. Soros’s estimated $8.6 billion is about two and a half times Schultz’s $3.4 billion — but only after Soros gave away more than $32 billion. Both figures are estimates.
| Howard Schultz | George Soros | |
|---|---|---|
| Born | 19 July 1953, Brooklyn, New York | 12 August 1930, Budapest, Hungary |
| Best known for | Building Starbucks into a global coffeehouse chain | Quantum Fund; “The Man Who Broke the Bank of England” |
| Main source of wealth | Starbucks equity; Maveron investments | Investment returns; Soros Fund Management |
| Estimated net worth | About $3.4 billion (Forbes, Oct 2026, estimated) | About $8.6 billion (Forbes, Sep 2026, estimated) |
| Main philanthropy | Schultz Family Foundation | Open Society Foundations (more than $32 billion donated) |
| Public role | Former Starbucks CEO and chairman; explored 2020 independent presidential run | Investor, author and philanthropist; supporter of progressive causes |
Are They Related?
No. They are not related. They were born a generation apart on different continents — Schultz in Brooklyn in 1953, Soros in Budapest in 1930 — and share no surname, family business or foundation.
Why Are They Searched Together?
Both are famous American billionaires, so comparison articles pair them as different routes to wealth — one through a consumer brand, the other through markets. Both are politically active philanthropists. And the 2019 American Bridge complaint created a genuine, if indirect, news link. Paired names can suggest a partnership, but the truth is simpler: two separate careers, with one indirect episode connecting them through a third party.
Conclusion
Schultz and Soros are best understood as a contrast, not a partnership. Schultz bought a small Seattle retailer for $3.8 million in 1987 and turned it into a global chain, with an estimated net worth of about $3.4 billion. Soros built the Quantum Fund, made about $1 billion shorting the pound in 1992, and gave more than $32 billion away, leaving about $8.6 billion. Both figures are estimates. The only verified link is indirect: Soros donated to American Bridge 21st Century, which filed a 2019 complaint about Schultz’s possible presidential run that the FEC dismissed in 2021.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Howard Schultz?
Howard Schultz is an American businessman and philanthropist, best known as the former chief executive and chairman of Starbucks. Born on 19 July 1953 in Brooklyn, he joined Starbucks in 1982 and bought the company in 1987.
Who is George Soros?
George Soros is a Hungarian-American investor and philanthropist, born on 12 August 1930 in Budapest. He founded Soros Fund Management and the Quantum Fund, and the Open Society Foundations, to which he has donated more than $32 billion.
What is Howard Schultz’s net worth?
About $3.4 billion, according to Forbes’s real-time estimate of 10 October 2026; other trackers put it at $3.5 billion to $3.65 billion. It is an estimate, not officially confirmed.
What is George Soros’s net worth?
About $8.6 billion, according to Forbes in September 2026; other trackers range from $7.5 billion to $9 billion. It is much lower than his peak wealth because he has donated more than $32 billion.
Are Howard Schultz and George Soros business partners?
No. There is no verified evidence they are business partners or collaborators. Schultz’s business is Starbucks and Maveron; Soros’s is Soros Fund Management and the Quantum Fund.
Are Howard Schultz and George Soros related?
No. Schultz was born in Brooklyn in 1953 and Soros in Budapest in 1930. No family relationship has been verified.
What is the connection between Howard Schultz and George Soros?
The only documented connection is indirect. Soros donated to American Bridge 21st Century, which in February 2019 filed an FEC complaint about Schultz’s possible presidential run. The FEC dismissed it in 2021; Soros was not a named complainant.
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