Who bought Starbucks from its original owners in 1987?

Who bought Starbucks from its original owners in 1987? Howard Schultz bought Starbucks in 1987.

Schultz had joined Starbucks in 1982 as its director of retail operations and marketing. After visiting coffee bars in Milan, he wanted Starbucks to serve espresso drinks in a café setting, but the original owners initially resisted expanding in that direction.

Schultz left and founded his own coffee-bar company, Il Giornale. In 1987, he and his investors used Il Giornale to acquire Starbucks from Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl, and Gordon Bowker for about $3.8 million. The transaction made Schultz the company's new owner and leader.

The wording can cause confusion because Schultz did not personally act entirely alone: Il Giornale and its investors completed the purchase. Nevertheless, Howard Schultz is the canonical answer because he organized the deal and subsequently transformed Starbucks into a national and international chain.