The revised travel arrangement, updated after a security assessment, removes Niccol’s obligation to repay Starbucks for personal use of the aircraft if he exceeds the annual cap of $250,000, according to a regulatory filing, as reported by Bloomberg.

“Following a security review of risks, the Starbucks board of directors made the decision to enhance security measures for Brian,” a company spokesperson said. “This included a decision by the board to require Brian to use private aircraft for all travel.”

The filing, released late Monday, points to “enhanced media attention” and “the current threat landscape,” adding that the security review identified “the existence of credible threat actors.”

Under the updated policy, the board will assess Niccol’s travel on a quarterly basis instead of annually. In fiscal 2025, Niccol did not reimburse Starbucks for any private jet usage under the time-sharing agreement, the filing shows.

Many U.S. companies have strengthened executive security following the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare executive Brian Thompson in Manhattan in late 2024.

“Since the shooting of the UnitedHealthcare CEO, we’ve seen many companies shift their security policies, including installing home security and requiring CEOs to use the corporate jet for all air travel,” said Courtney Yu, director of research at executive pay consultant Equilar.

Starbucks also provided Niccol with a personal driver at no cost. His total security- expenses reached $1.1 million in fiscal 2025, while the cost of his private jet travel totaled just under $1 million.

The company additionally covered more than $370,000 in temporary housing costs for Niccol during the fiscal year, including roughly $244,000 tied to tax expenses, according to the filing.