During an interview with CNBC last night, former Starbucks CEO appeared to take exception with the term “billionaire” when asked if people like him have too much power.
“The moniker ‘billionaire’ now has become the catchphrase. I would rephrase that and say that ‘people of means’ have been able to leverage their wealth and their interest in ways that are unfair, and I think that speaks to the inequality but it also speaks to the special interests that are paid for ‘people of wealth’ and corporations who are looking for influence.”
Unsurprisingly, his comments have gone viral.
You haven’t lived until you’ve seen Howard Schultz’s facial muscles react when @andrewrsorkin asks, on my behalf, if billionaires have too much power in American life. pic.twitter.com/DgbGhA0L5j
— Anand Giridharadas (@AnandWrites) February 4, 2019
Laughing so hard at Howard Schultz for thinking he can rebrand billionaires as “people of means” when he can’t even get us to call medium drinks “grande.”
— Adam Best (@adamcbest) February 5, 2019
Howard Schultz calls out all you billionairists for your cruel prejudices against America’s misunderstood over-class. They are “people of means,” or “people of wealth” if you must. But just people. Like us. But with islands and jets. https://t.co/9rUB5MUgPO
— Eric Klinenberg (@EricKlinenberg) February 5, 2019
Howard Schultz may be a billionaire — actually a multi-billionaire — but he doesn’t really like the term. Rather, he prefers that we refer to mega-rich folks like him as “people of means.” He thinks it makes him seem more like a man of the people. https://t.co/ullimr6PnM
— Jon Cooper (@joncoopertweets) February 5, 2019