Howard Schultz and George Soros are not known to be business partners, and no direct deal between them has been shown. Their names meet through American Bridge 21st Century, a Democratic-aligned research group. Soros had donated to the group in earlier years. In 2019, that same group researched Schultz and filed a complaint against him while he was thinking about running for president.
That makes the link indirect. The records do not show that Soros ordered the research or the complaint.
What Is the Connection Between Howard Schultz and George Soros?
The connection runs through American Bridge 21st Century. The group researched political opponents and shared its findings to help Democratic causes. Soros had given money to the group in the 2016 and 2018 election cycles.
On January 27, 2019, Schultz said on 60 Minutes that he was seriously thinking about running for president as a centrist independent. Many Democrats worried that he could pull votes away from their nominee. Within days, American Bridge began questioning his record, including Starbucks employee lawsuits and the finances of his charitable foundation.
The group also filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC). It said Schultz had moved past the exploring stage and should have registered and reported as a candidate.
This is why the two names appear together online. Still, giving money to a group does not prove that the donor controls what the group does. Soros’s past donations to American Bridge are documented. His personal role in the Schultz research or complaint is not.
Who Is American Bridge 21st Century?
American Bridge 21st Century was a Democratic-aligned political group known for opposition research. Opposition research means digging into the public record of a rival, such as a candidate or a possible candidate. The goal is to find facts that can be used against that person in a campaign. The group is now known as AB PAC, but this article uses its 2019 name because that was its name during these events.
FactCheck.org has reviewed the group’s funding. Its reports are the main public source on Soros’s donations to American Bridge. Those reports cover specific election cycles, so the dates matter.
George Soros’s Donations to American Bridge
FactCheck.org reported that Soros gave American Bridge $2 million during the 2016 election cycle. A later review listed $300,000 from Soros for the 2018 cycle.
These numbers cover different periods, so they should not be added together without care. None of them can be tied to the Schultz research or the FEC complaint.
A gift to American Bridge was not a gift to Schultz’s campaign, and it was not a gift aimed at Schultz. The donation record shows that Soros supported the group. It does not show that he chose its targets.
What Happened in 2019? A Timeline of the Political Link
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| January 27, 2019 | Schultz said on 60 Minutes that he was seriously considering an independent run for president. |
| February 1, 2019 | The Daily Beast reported that American Bridge had pitched research on the Schultz Family Foundation. |
| February 4, 2019 | CNBC reported on American Bridge’s focus on Starbucks employee settlements. |
| February 2019 | American Bridge and Bradley Beychok filed an FEC complaint against Schultz. |
| June 2019 | Schultz paused his campaign activity to recover from back surgeries. |
| September 6, 2019 | Schultz said he would not run as an independent candidate in 2020. |
| December 2019 | The FEC’s General Counsel recommended dismissing the complaint. |
| November 2021 | The FEC voted 6–0 to dismiss the allegation. |
American Bridge’s work on Schultz had three parts: the foundation research, the Starbucks settlement figure, and the FEC complaint. All three were tied to the same possible campaign. But each one made a different claim, so each needs its own look.
Why Democrats Worried About Schultz’s Independent Run
Schultz said he wanted to offer a choice outside the two main parties. He argued that the two-party system was not serving many Americans well. That message appealed to some voters.
Many Democrats saw a risk in it. An independent candidate could draw votes from the Democratic nominee in 2020. They feared that this might help President Donald Trump win a second term.
That worry helps explain why Democratic-aligned groups looked closely at Schultz so early. It was a political disagreement about strategy and the election. It was not a personal fight between Schultz and Soros.
What American Bridge’s Research on Schultz Claimed
American Bridge looked at two parts of Schultz’s record. One was his time at Starbucks. The other was his charitable foundation. These were political claims made to hurt a possible candidate. They were not court findings.
The $46 Million Starbucks Settlement Claim
In February 2019, American Bridge drew attention to Starbucks employee settlements as part of its research on Schultz. The cases involved wage and pay claims, including overtime and the handling of tips. The exact $46 million total and the 2001–2019 date range should be treated with caution unless they can be confirmed from the original report.
This number needs context. It was a total cited in opposition research. It was not a single court judgment, and it was not money Schultz paid out of his own pocket. Some of the cases also covered years when he was not CEO of Starbucks.
A settlement is also different from a court ruling. A company can settle a case without admitting that the claims were true. So the $46 million figure shows the line of attack American Bridge chose. It does not prove that Schultz personally broke a law or mistreated workers.
A well-known California tip-pooling case shows why the details matter. In 2008, a trial court awarded about $86.7 million, plus interest. In 2009, an appeals court reversed the judgment. The case is a reminder that an initial award does not always stand after an appeal.
The Schultz Family Foundation Research
On February 1, 2019, The Daily Beast reported on a second line of research. American Bridge had pitched questions about the Schultz Family Foundation. The pitch focused on how much money the foundation gave away, how much it spent on overhead, and what it paid its executives.
The report included specific figures. American Bridge’s pitch pointed to roughly $400,000 in furniture expenses in fiscal 2016 and a $21,000 monthly salary for the foundation’s executive director. The report also cited the foundation’s filing for the fiscal year ending June 2017. It showed $18 million in donations, about $7.6 million in grants, and just under $2.2 million in operating and administrative expenses. The first two figures were American Bridge’s claims, while the filing figures came from the foundation’s own records.
Again, these were claims from political opposition research. They were not a legal ruling, and no one has shown that the foundation broke the law. This research is a separate event from the Starbucks figure. It shows that American Bridge was digging into more than one part of Schultz’s public life.
The FEC Complaint Against Howard Schultz
The FEC complaint was the one formal legal step in this story. It also gives us the strongest official record, because the FEC posted the case file as MUR 7567.
What the Complaint Said
American Bridge 21st Century and Bradley Beychok filed the complaint in February 2019. George Soros is not listed as a complainant in the case record. The complaint said Schultz’s early work, such as hiring consultants, ordering polls, and preparing ads, showed he was already a candidate.
The law gives people room to test the idea of running before they decide. This stage is often called “testing the waters.” Early spending can count as testing the waters. The question was whether Schultz had gone beyond that stage and was required to register and report as a candidate.
What the FEC Decided
In December 2019, the FEC’s General Counsel recommended dismissing the complaint. The report said the record did not show that Schultz had made a final decision to run. His spending also looked consistent with testing the waters.
The Commission’s vote came almost two years later. In November 2021, it split 3–3 on two proposed actions, including a draft factual and legal analysis. It then voted 6–0 to dismiss the allegation and close the file.
The outcome was a dismissal. The FEC did not find that Schultz broke campaign finance law. But the earlier 3–3 votes mean it would be wrong to say that every commissioner agreed with one shared written explanation.
Why Howard Schultz Did Not Run for President in 2020
Schultz faced strong pushback from Democrats during his short exploration. Some of it was loud and public. He also dealt with health problems. In June 2019, he paused his campaign activity to recover from back surgeries.
On September 6, 2019, Schultz announced that he would not run as an independent candidate. He said an independent run for the White House was not the best way for him to serve the country at that time. Schultz also cited ballot-access deadlines, which could have forced him to appear on some state ballots before Democrats had chosen their nominee. The announcement ended the possible campaign that American Bridge had been targeting.
The FEC case did not end with his decision. It stayed open until the Commission dismissed the allegation in November 2021.
Howard Schultz and George Soros: Business and Public Roles
The two men built their public names in very different fields. Schultz is best known for Starbucks. He helped turn the company into a global brand and led it as CEO at different times. Starbucks said in March 2023 that he had left the CEO role. He left the board in September 2023 and kept the title of chairman emeritus.
Soros is best known as an investor and a philanthropist. He is the founder of the Open Society Foundations. By the foundation’s own account, his philanthropy began in 1979. The foundation supports work on rights, justice, free expression, and accountable government.
In short, Schultz’s public identity is tied to a consumer coffee brand, and Soros’s is tied to financial markets and giving. In 2019, one was a business leader weighing a presidential run. The other was a donor who had backed a political research group. Nothing in these roles shows that the two men worked together.
What the Evidence Shows and What It Doesn’t
Several points are well documented. Soros donated to American Bridge before 2019. American Bridge later researched Schultz and filed an FEC complaint against him. The FEC dismissed the allegation, 6–0, in November 2021.
Other claims have no support in the records. Nothing shows that Soros ordered the Schultz research. Nothing shows that he paid for the complaint, or that he and Schultz were ever business partners. The accurate way to put it is that Soros supported a group that later took action against Schultz.
Frequently Asked Questions
How are Howard Schultz and George Soros connected?
They are linked through American Bridge 21st Century. Soros donated to the group in earlier election cycles. In 2019, the group researched Schultz while he considered an independent run for president.
Did George Soros fund Howard Schultz’s presidential campaign?
No record shows that. Schultz did not run as an independent candidate in 2020. The documented donations went from Soros to American Bridge, not to Schultz’s campaign.
Did George Soros file a complaint against Howard Schultz?
No. The FEC case record names American Bridge 21st Century and Bradley Beychok as the complainants. Soros is not listed.
What was American Bridge 21st Century’s role?
American Bridge was a Democratic-aligned group that did opposition research. In early 2019, it looked into Schultz’s record. It also filed a complaint asking whether his early campaign work should have been reported under federal rules.
Why did Howard Schultz consider running for president in 2019?
Schultz said he wanted to offer a centrist, independent choice outside the two-party system. He announced on 60 Minutes in January 2019 that he was seriously considering a run. He ended the idea in September 2019.
Did the FEC find that Howard Schultz violated campaign finance law?
No. The FEC dismissed the allegation by a 6–0 vote in November 2021. Earlier votes on proposed actions, including a draft legal analysis, had ended in 3–3 ties.
What was the $46 million Starbucks settlement claim?
It was a figure associated with American Bridge’s 2019 research on Starbucks employee settlements. The cases involved wage and pay claims. Without confirmation from the original report, the exact total and date range should be treated cautiously. The figure was not a single judgment against Schultz and does not establish personal wrongdoing.
Were Howard Schultz and George Soros business partners?
No partnership between them has been shown. The documented link is political and indirect. It comes from Soros’s past donations to American Bridge and the group’s later actions about Schultz.
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Hi, I’m Sophia Turner, a content writer who focuses on celebrity biographies, net worth information, and entertainment topics. I enjoy researching public figures and using reliable sources to make complex or unfamiliar information easy to understand.
My goal is to create clear and useful articles about celebrities, including their careers, achievements, backgrounds, and public work. I also follow entertainment news and trends to keep the content relevant and interesting for readers.