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Which Seattle Billionaire Would Make the Best President?

Schultz 2020?

Seth Sommerfeld
Author: Seth Sommerfeld
1 min.read
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So, America wants a billionaire to run the country; how about picking one that’s actually successful, sans bankruptcies? Since he stepped down as Starbucks CEO, rumors have circulated about whether Howard Schultz might run for president. And while Amazon’s Jeff Bezos says he has no political aspirations, Amazon is taking over everything else. It all begs the question: Which Seattle billionaire would make the better POTUS?

Howard Schultz

Former Starbucks CEO and Chairman
Net worth: $3 Billion

Pros:
  • A man with no qualms about putting a Starbucks across the street from another Starbucks clearly understands the value of investing in infrastructure.
  • After ruining Christmas forever with decoration-free red Starbucks holiday cups in 2015, Schultz already has experience dealing with absurd nonscandals.
Cons:
  • Tough to believe he’ll keep jobs in America when he couldn’t even keep the Sonics in Seattle.
  • Plan to make October National Pumpkin Spice Awareness Month seems tacky—and redundant. 

Jeff Bezos

Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Amazon
Net worth: $77.2 Billion

Pros:
  • U.S. drone policy shifts from unmanned bombing to delivering Frasier DVD box sets to your front door* with deadly precision.  (*Amazon Prime members only)
  • Unlike many politicians these days, the guy who owns The Washington Post actually values the power of the free press.
Cons:
  • Instilling Amazon’s hard-charging culture on a national level causes everyone to quit America after a few years (as soon as their stock vests).
  • After Trump, America may not be ready for another bald president.

Published in the Cottage and Cabin Getaways issue of Seattle Met.




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Seth Sommerfeld
Seth Sommerfeld
Assistant Editor (Arts) Seth Sommerfeld runs the arts department at Seattle Met, crafting the magazine's On the Town section, editing the Culture Fiend blog, and contributing to reader service features such as “The Ultimate Seahawks Guide” and the front-of-the-book department, Mudroom. Seth has written about music and culture for Rolling Stone, Spin, Pacific Northwest Inlander, Charleston Post and Courier, Syracuse Post-Standard, and Billings Gazette. He also extensively covered the NBA Draft for years for Fox Sports and NBADraft.net, and was published as part of Myth, Media, and Culture in Star Wars: An Anthology. Originally from Billings, Montana, Seth first lived in Washington while earning an undergraduate degree in journalism and broadcasting at Gonzaga University. He followed up those studies at Syracuse University, where he earned a master’s degree in arts journalism.