How Much Is Brian Niccol Worth? Chipotle CEO Makes Move to Starbucks

When you think of rich people, you often think of CEOs: Elon Musk, Warren Buffet, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates — the list goes on and on. While tech company executives typically top that list, food chains definitely rake in the big bucks, as well. And in recent food chain news, it has been announced that Brian Niccol, the former CEO of Taco Bell and current CEO of Chipotle, will be moving on over to Starbucks.

Starbucks has ousted their current CEO, Laxman Narasimhan, effective immediately, and Niccol is set to take over in early September 2024. Now that he's been in charge of some of the biggest food chains in the world, folks want to know — just how much is serial CEO Brian Niccol worth?

Brian Niccol served as the Chief Executive Officer of Taco Bell from January 2015 to February 2018, per his LinkedIn profile, at which time he transferred over to Chipotle Mexican Grill. He has served as the company's director, CEO, and Chairman of the Board for over 6 years, seeing the brand through several scandals and food illness issues.

Reports on Niccol's official net worth vary, but it's currently estimated to sit somewhere between $65 million and $300 million. He is often listed among the richest food chain CEOs in the world, and reports show that his salary is about $1.3 million per year.

Of course, when any major changes are made to a business, they're likely to be followed by a change in stock value, whether negative or positive. Brian Niccol's transfer from Chipotle to Starbucks is the perfect example: In the time since the news was announced, Chipotle's stock has fallen around 10 percent, while Starbucks's has risen more than 20 percent, per CNBC.

Starbucks's decision to replace Laxman Narasimhan, who took over from former CEO Howard Schultz in March 2023, comes after a year full of declining sales, controversy, and falling shares.

In contrast, Chipotle's stock soared 773 percent during Niccol's time as the company's CEO, even through the pandemic. It seems that Starbucks is hoping that, by bringing him on as CEO, they can see the same sort of growth and finally leap out of the slump they've been in for the past few years.

"I believe he is the leader Starbucks needs at a pivotal moment in its history. He has my respect and full support,” said Shultz, who is now chairman emeritus of the company.