Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz says he's not running for president

Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz has shot down speculation that he's running for president.

In an op-ed for The New York Times on Thursday, Schultz writes:

Americans who are tired of politics as usual should demand a clear answer to a simple question from every candidate: What will you do to unite all of us?

Our country deserves a candidate courageous enough to select a member of the other party as a running mate. Our country deserves a president humble enough to see leadership not as an entitlement but as a privilege.

The speculation about my candidacy reminds me of a lesson from a great Jewish leader. A decade ago, I visited the Western Wall in Jerusalem with Nosson Tzvi Finkel, a widely respected rabbi in Israel. As we approached one of the holiest sites in Judaism, the rabbi halted about 10 yards away as a crowd of admirers gathered nearby. I beckoned him further.

"I've never been closer than this," the rabbi told me. Astounded, I asked why.

"You go," he said. "I'm not worthy."

On Tuesday of this week, Business Insider's Hunter Walker reported that Schultz was apparently weighing a bid for president. Walker noted that Schultz was also floated as a Democratic nominee in 2008.

But Thursday's op-ed - despite its calls for fewer theatrics from candidates and a more serious discussion about the need to fixes from Washington - shoots down any speculation that Schultz will be stepping into the race anytime soon.

Read the full piece at NYTimes.com here »