Some Republicans tie the timing to the newly passed tax on wealthy residents, while Democrats say Schultz’s move is unrelated.

SEATTLE — Starbucks founder Howard Schultz says he and his family have moved to Florida as part of their retirement, a move announced just one day after Washington’s proposed millionaire tax cleared the state House.

The timing quickly drew political attention in Olympia.

State Rep. Chris Corry, R-Yakima, suggested Schultz’s relocation could signal what he called “capital flight,” when wealthy residents leave a state after new taxes are adopted.

“He is just a harbinger of things to come,” Corry said. 

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Democrats pushed back on that interpretation, arguing Schultz’s move reflects personal circumstances rather than the tax debate.

“He’s passed his years of earnings, so I don’t think that this is what’s causing him to make a decision about where he wants to live,” Sen. Jamie Pedersen said.

Schultz announced the move in a LinkedIn post reflecting on his decades-long relationship with Seattle and the company he helped build.

Schultz said he joined Starbucks on Sept. 7, 1982, when the company’s Pike Place store sold only whole bean coffee. 

He and his wife, Sheri, said they have entered the “retirement phase” of their lives and spent much of the past year traveling. The couple has now relocated to Miami. 

Despite the move, Schultz said Seattle will remain central to the family’s legacy. The Schultz Family Foundation will continue operating in Seattle, even as the family’s private office moves to Miami.

“It is our hope that Washington will remain a place for business and entrepreneurship to thrive, creating essential opportunity for those in Seattle and the surrounding areas,” Schultz wrote.

Schultz stepped down from Starbucks’ board of directors in the fall of 2023.

After purchasing Starbucks in 1987, Schultz headed the company as CEO until 2000 and again between 2008 and 2017. He later came out of retirement to return as interim CEO while the company searched for a new chief executive. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.