People in Washington need to put their feet in the shoes of working Americans.

Companies should not have a singular view of profitability. There needs to be a balance between commerce and social responsibility... The companies that are authentic about it will wind up as the companies that make more money.

I think Starbucks created a platform and, ultimately, a runway for many other companies to emulate. I suspect if we had not achieved what we have, there would have been many regional brands that would have succeeded. But I'm not sure there would have been a national brand of the scope of Starbucks.

I think growth covers up mistakes.

The premium single-cup segment is the fastest-growing business within the global coffee industry.

I'm in a different position than most CEO's. I'm a founder. I'm not a hired CEO. Now, I can be fired by the board, but most CEO's are hired by the board.

I never wanted to be on any billionaires list. I never define myself by net worth. I always try to define myself by my values.