People often search for Howard Schultz and George Soros in the same breath. They want to know if the two men are connected. The short answer is yes, but only in an indirect way. The link runs through a political group called American Bridge.
This guide walks through that link step by step. It uses public records and news reports from 2015 to 2021. You will see who each man is, how the group fits in, what its 2019 complaint said, and how the matter ended. You will also learn what the record does not show. That last part matters most.
Who are Howard Schultz and George Soros?
Howard Schultz is an American businessman. He is best known for building Starbucks into a global coffee brand. He first led the company as chief executive from 1986 to 2000. He came back in 2008 and ran it again until 2017. He then served as executive chairman and stepped down from that role in June 2018.
Schultz has long described himself as a Democrat. Even so, he spoke of both major parties with frustration. In early 2019 he said he was thinking about running for president as an independent. That plan made him a hot topic in national politics for most of that year.
George Soros is a Hungarian-born financier and philanthropist. He made his fortune in investing. He later set up the Open Society Foundations, which fund causes around the world. In the United States, he is also one of the best-known donors to Democratic and progressive groups. Supporters see him as a defender of open societies. Critics, mostly on the right, treat his name as shorthand for liberal money in politics.
The two men work in very different fields. One built a retail brand. The other built an investment and giving empire. The table below puts them side by side.
| Detail | Howard Schultz | George Soros |
| Known for | Growing Starbucks worldwide | Investing and global philanthropy |
| Main field | Business and retail | Finance and political giving |
| Political label | Longtime Democrat who explored an independent run | Major donor to Democratic and progressive causes |
| Role in this story | Possible 2020 independent candidate | Donor to American Bridge |
| Public link to the other | None found in direct form | None found in direct form |
How does American Bridge connect them?
American Bridge 21st Century is a Democratic-aligned super PAC. It also has an affiliated foundation. Its main job is opposition research. In plain words, it digs into the records of Republicans and other political targets, then shares what it finds with reporters and voters. Media Matters founder David Brock started the group.
Soros has given money to American Bridge over the years. News reports from 2015 said he gave at least $1 million to the PAC in the first half of that year. A later report said he gave about $2 million during the 2016 presidential cycle. The same report said he gave $380,000 during the 2018 cycle. Soros was not the only donor. Other reports named wealthy supporters such as Bernard Schwartz and George Marcus.
Schultz enters the picture in early 2019. When he began to float an independent run, American Bridge started collecting research on him. It looked at his charitable foundation. It also looked at past wage and pay settlements at Starbucks. The group shared some of this material with news outlets.
So the chain looks like this:
- Soros was a reported donor to American Bridge.
- American Bridge opposed a Schultz run and researched him.
- American Bridge, with a co-complainant, filed an FEC complaint against Schultz.
The link between the two men is therefore a chain with a middle step. It is not a straight line. News stories that mention both names almost always do so because of this middle step.
| Link in the chain | What the record shows |
| Soros to American Bridge | Reported donations in 2015, the 2016 cycle and the 2018 cycle |
| American Bridge to Schultz | Opposition research and a formal FEC complaint in 2019 |
| Soros to Schultz | No direct dealing shown in the sources reviewed |
What did the complaint allege?
American Bridge and Bradley Beychok filed the complaint with the Federal Election Commission on February 7, 2019. Beychok is a Democratic strategist. The case was later logged as Matter Under Review 7567. The FEC told Schultz about it on February 15, 2019.
The core claim was about timing. Federal law lets a person explore a run without being treated as a candidate. This is called “testing the waters.” A person in that stage can spend money to find out if a campaign is realistic. But the exemption has limits. Once someone moves from deciding to actually campaigning, the usual candidate rules apply.
The complaint argued that Schultz had crossed that line. It pointed to several facts from news coverage:
- He had told a national TV audience that he was considering a run.
- He was on a public book tour.
- He had reportedly laid groundwork for paid advertising.
- He had hired experienced political staff.
If Schultz was a candidate, he would have needed to register and file reports with the FEC. The complaint said he had not done so. It asked the agency to investigate whether he went beyond testing the waters and spent money to advance his own candidacy.
Schultz’s lawyers answered on April 12, 2019. They said he was still testing the waters. They said his activity fit within the allowed range. In other words, both sides used the same rule and read it in opposite ways.
What happened to Schultz’s presidential plans and the FEC case?
The two storylines moved on different clocks. The campaign story was short. The legal story took years.
Schultz told “60 Minutes” on January 27, 2019, that he was considering an independent run. He faced fast and loud pushback. Many Democratic activists feared he would split the anti-Trump vote. He hired veteran advisers, including Steve Schmidt and Bill Burton. A team also prepared for ballot access work in all 50 states. Reports said he was ready to spend more than $100 million.
Then health problems slowed him down. He injured his back in April 2019 and had three surgeries. In June, he said he was taking a detour from the idea. On September 6, 2019, he ended the effort in a letter to supporters. He gave two main reasons. He said an independent bid could help re-elect President Donald Trump. He also cited his back injury and the strain of travel. He said he would put money toward groups that promote honesty, civility and results in politics.
The FEC case lasted much longer. The agency’s general counsel issued a first report on December 5, 2019. Then the commissioners were split. In November 2021 they voted 3 to 3 on two motions to dismiss the claim and approve a legal analysis. A tie means no action passes. Later, the Commission voted 6 to 0 to dismiss the allegation and close the file. Commissioners on each side also issued statements explaining their reasoning in December 2021.
| Date | Event |
| Jan. 27, 2019 | Schultz says on TV he is considering an independent run |
| Feb. 7, 2019 | American Bridge and Bradley Beychok file the FEC complaint |
| Apr. 12, 2019 | Schultz’s lawyers file a response |
| Jun. 2019 | Schultz pauses his plans after back surgeries |
| Sep. 6, 2019 | Schultz ends his possible run |
| Dec. 5, 2019 | FEC general counsel issues a first report |
| Nov. 2021 | Two 3 to 3 tie votes at the FEC |
| Dec. 2021 | FEC votes 6 to 0 to dismiss and close the file |
The final result was a dismissal. The FEC did not issue a penalty against Schultz.
Does this establish a personal relationship?
No. Nothing in the public record reviewed for this article shows that Schultz and Soros have a personal relationship. There is no report of a meeting, a joint project, or a shared event tied to this story. The connection is a donor link to a group, and that group’s later actions against Schultz.
It also helps to ask what Soros actually did. The sources show that he was a reported donor to American Bridge. They do not show that he chose the group’s targets. They do not show that he asked for the Schultz research or the complaint. Large donors often give to a group’s general work. The staff then decide the day-to-day moves.
Some coverage leaned hard on the Soros name. Conservative outlets such as the Free Beacon and the Daily Wire pointed to his donations when they wrote about the Schultz research. That is fair as a fact about funding. But a donation does not prove direct control. Readers should keep those two ideas apart.
The table below separates what is shown from what is not.
| Claim | Status |
| Soros donated to American Bridge | Reported by multiple news outlets |
| American Bridge researched Schultz | Reported by news outlets |
| American Bridge filed an FEC complaint against Schultz | Confirmed by FEC records |
| Soros directed or approved the complaint | Not shown in the sources reviewed |
| Schultz and Soros have a personal tie | Not shown in the sources reviewed |
A fair summary is simple. They share a political connection through a third party. They do not share a documented personal one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Howard Schultz and George Soros connected?
Only indirectly. Soros has been a reported donor to American Bridge, and that group filed a complaint against Schultz in 2019.
Did George Soros file a complaint against Howard Schultz?
No. American Bridge and Bradley Beychok filed it. Soros is not listed as a complainant in the FEC record.
What is American Bridge?
It is a Democratic-aligned super PAC and foundation that focuses on opposition research. David Brock founded it.
Did Howard Schultz run for president in 2020?
No. He explored an independent run, then ended the effort on September 6, 2019.
What happened to the FEC case against Howard Schultz?
The FEC dismissed it. After two tie votes in 2021, it voted 6 to 0 to dismiss and close the file.
Why did American Bridge target Howard Schultz?
It opposed his possible independent run. The group said his candidacy would only help President Trump.
Do Howard Schultz and George Soros know each other personally?
The public record does not show it. No source reviewed here documents a personal relationship.
Final Thoughts
The link between Howard Schultz and George Soros is real, but it is thin. It rests on one middle step. Soros was a reported donor to American Bridge. That group opposed Schultz’s possible run and filed a complaint with the FEC in 2019. The complaint ended in a dismissal, and Schultz ended his own plans that September.
When you read a headline that joins these two names, check what it truly claims. A donation to a group is a fact. Control over that group’s choices is a separate claim and needs separate proof. Stick to the documents, and you will see this story for what it is: a political connection by way of a third party, not a personal tie.
