An American businessman and author, John Powell Mackey, better known as John Mackey, has a whopping net worth of $85 million.
He co-founded Whole Foods Market in 1980 and today serves as its CEO. John is one of the most well-known supporters of organic food.
He is an outspoken member of the Libertarian Party and strongly supports free market capitalism.
Similarly, Mackey has expressed his disapproval of labor unions and calls his opinions anti-union views.
Moreover, John received the “Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year” award in 2003.
In the 1970s, he studied philosophy and theology at Trinity University and the University of Texas at Austin while also working at a vegetarian co-op.
John attended college for over six years without graduating. Mackey attributes much of his success in business to his broad approach to learning.
John Mackey | Quick Facts
John Mackey’s net worth as of December 2023 $85 million. Let’s look at quick facts to understand more about John Mackey.
| Birth Name | John Powell Mackey |
| Professional Name | John Mackey |
| Nick Name | Mackey, John |
| Birth Date | August 15, 1953 |
| Age | 70 Years Old |
| Birth Place | Houston, Texas, USA |
| Height | 1.75 m/5 feet 8 inches |
| Weight | 149 lbs./68 kg |
| Religion | Perennialist |
| Gender | Male |
| Nationality | American |
| Body Type | Slim |
| Eye Color | Green |
| Hair Color | Brown |
| Profession | Businessman, Author |
| Father’s Name | William Sturges “Bill” Mackey, Jr. |
| Mother’s Name | Margaret Wescott (Powell) |
| Horoscope | Libra |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Sibling | 2 |
| Net Worth | $85 Million |
| High School | N/A |
| College | The University of Texas at Austin Trinity University |
| Sexual Orientation | Straight |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Spouse | Deborah Mackey (1991-Present) |
| Children | Not Yet |
| Active Since | 1980-Present |
| Social Media | Not Available |
| Last Update | December 2023 |
John Mackey | Net Worth and Income
Multi-talented businessman and author John Mackey’s net worth is a staggering $85 million.
John carved out a place for himself by offering customers items like cashew yogurt and emu eggs.
That vision has brought big results, as he is now worth more than $85 million.
His business began to grow outside the city in 1984, first into other Texas regions before moving on to New Orleans and California.
Currently, the grocery company operates in over 460 locations in the US, Canada, and the UK, bringing in $16 billion annually.
Whole Foods’ yearly revenues were only $45 million in 1988, which translates to roughly $95 million in today’s money.
He held the CEO position from 1978 to May 2010, when he and Walter Robb were named co-CEOs. He reclaimed his position as Whole Foods’ sole CEO in January 2017.
John owned about 1 million total shares of Whole Foods or .05% of the company’s outstanding shares; at the time, Amazon paid $13.4 billion to acquire it.
The company was acquired by Amazon for $42 a share, making Mackey’s ownership position worth $42 million before taxes.
For many years, Mackey received a salary of just $1, and in 2007 he stopped accepting any stock awards from his own company.
He claims to have come to a point in his life where he no longer wants to work for financial gain.
Instead, John works for the joy of working and his satisfaction. For employees who are experiencing personal issues, he has established a $100,000 emergency fund.
Furthermore, he has enforced executive salary limitations within the business.
Net Worth of John Mackey Different Currencies
John Mackey has a net worth of $85 million. Let’s look into John Mackey’s net worth in different currencies, including the cryptocurrency Bitcoin.
| Currency | Net Worth |
| Euro | € 82,972,325 |
| Pound Sterling | £ 70,702,150 |
| Australian Dollar | A$ 123,230,875 |
| Canadian Dollar | C$ 109,887,150 |
| Indian Rupee | ₹ 6,790,267,500 |
| Bitcoin | ฿ 3802.47 |
John Mackey | Houses & Cars
Houses
As of December 2023, John Mackey’s net worth is a massive $85 million.
John lives with his wife in Austin, Texas.
They reside at their 720-acre ranch 40 miles west of Austin on the weekends and spend the workweek in Austin.
However, the media hasn’t revealed the details about his property. He must have a massive mansion with a net worth of $85 million.
Cars
Like his mansion, John hasn’t revealed any information about his vehicle.
He isn’t interested in flexing his cars and lives a minimalistic lifestyle. Although, he uses cars just for the sake of travel.
He has a reputation for being economical; he once drove a Honda Civic that was five years old, and he continues to use budget lodging and only fly commercial.
As of December 2023, John Mackey’s net worth is a massive $85 million.
John Mackey | Lifestyle and Vacations
Lifestyle
Mackey lives a comfortable lifestyle with a net worth of $85 million.
John practices an organic and plant-based diet and avoids frozen or processed foods, much like the Whole Foods approach.
Although Mackey does not believe himself to be an opponent of climate change science, he denies the scientific proof of hazardous anthropogenic global warming.
He argues that climate change is entirely natural and not necessarily harmful.
Moreover, in 1991, he wedded Deborah Morin, and the couple has been happily married ever since.
Since he loves children, John does have one regret, the fact that he is childless.
The decision not to have a kid may have been influenced by his demanding father, with whom he had a tense relationship.
John regrets not having kids, but he wouldn’t go back and change his life.
Mackey is well known for his strong opposition to unions and even compared them to herpes.
In 2008, his company, Costco, and Starbucks developed a replacement for the Employee Free Choice Act.
The three businesses asked other brands, unions, and public interest organizations to join them and proposed that unions be given greater opportunities to speak with workers.
Similarly, John is a libertarian who supports the free market.
When he struggled to break even, he faced complaints from customers and employees about his failure to fair pay his staff.
After which, he started to adopt a more neo-liberalism mindset.
John Mackey | Charity
Whole Foods was the first grocery store chain to establish guidelines for the humane treatment of animals.
He was influenced by an animal rights activist who, in 2003, challenged Whole Foods’ animal standards in relation to ducks at a shareholder meeting.
John chose to switch to a largely vegan diet that only contained eggs from his birds after researching difficulties with industrial farming.
He established the “Animal Compassion Foundation,” a non-profit organization, to address the issue of making animal welfare more financially sustainable.
Similarly, “The Global Animal Partnership,” a nonprofit group, was founded in 2008, replacing the Animal Compassion Foundation, which went out of business.
Mackey is on the Global Animal Council’s board of directors. Likewise, he serves on the “Global Animal Partnership” board of directors.
He also serves on the board of “Farm Forward,” an NGO that employs cutting-edge tactics to encourage ethical eating, lessen the suffering of farmed animals, and improve sustainable agriculture.
Moreover, he has served on the Humane Society of the United States board of directors since 2009.
In order to unite his values of personal development, social responsibility, and environmental responsibility, John co-founded “Freedom Lights Our World.”
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John Mackey | Movies, Books, Investments, and Endorsements
Movies
Mackey has been featured in a few documentaries and television series in his career.
He has appeared in movies such as “WeRiseUP” (2019), “Wait Till It’s Free” (2014), “Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead 2” (2014), and “Stossel” (2009).
Similarly, John has appeared in television series like “Today” (2018), “Super Soul Sunday” (2014), “Cavuto on Business” (2012), “Overheard” (2011), and a few others.
Books
In order to rethink and bravely defend capitalism, Mackey co-authored the New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-selling book “Conscious Capitalism: Liberating the Heroic Spirit of Business.”
The book was published in 2013 and promoted an ethically conscious approach to conducting business.
Similarly, he wrote “The Whole Foods Diet” in 2017 and “The Whole Foods Cookbook” in 2018.
Furthermore, John has released “Conscious Leadership: Elevating Humanity Through Business” (2020) and “Conscious Capitalism” (2021).
Investments
As of December 2023, John Mackey’s net worth is a massive $85 million.
John has made a few visible investments in his career. His most popular one is “Whole Foods Market.”
He made an investment in a crowdfunding platform called “WhenYouWish,” which was established to support and publicize innovative commercial and charity endeavors.
His investment was valued at $1.5 million.
Endorsements
John has endorsed a few brands and companies in his career.
He has supported “The Humane Society of the United States,” “Global Animal Partnership,” and “Students For Liberty.”
Likewise, Mackey has endorsed “Conscious Capitalism” and stays on its board.
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John Mackey | Career
With his then-girlfriend Renee Lawson, Mackey co-founded “SaferWay,” the first health food store in Austin, in 1978.
They connected while sharing a vegetarian housing cooperative, and they left college early to start a business.
To launch “SaferWay,” they borrowed $10,000 and funded an additional $35,000. At the time, Austin featured many compact health food shops.
The first floor of their building housed their market, the second housed a restaurant serving healthy food, and the third floor was where they temporarily lived.
In two years, they merged “SaferWay” with Mark Skiles and Craig Weller-owned “Clarksville Natural Grocery,” changing the name of the company to “Whole Foods Market.”
John transformed Whole Foods into an international corporation with locations in important markets across the US, Canada, and the UK.
Along the way, he acquired more modest rivals. In 2007, Whole Foods acquired Wild Oats Markets, Inc., a significant rival natural foods retailer.
Some Interesting Facts About John Mackey
- Mackey identified himself as a vegetarian for thirty years but is now a vegan.
- On July 20, 2007, the Wall Street Journal reported that Mackey had been posting to Yahoo Finance forums using the alias “Rahodeb” for at least seven years.
- Bentley College, in May 2008, awarded him an honorary bachelor’s degree.
FAQs
What is John Mackey’s religion?
It was long believed that Mackey was a Buddhist because of his experimentation with several faiths and philosophical systems while he was in his twenties. He currently identifies as a Perennialist.
Who is the current owner of Whole Foods?
Ecommerce giant Amazon owns the company.
Was John Mackey placed under the Top 30 CEO?
Yes, in 2017, he was named the Top 30 CEO by Barron’s magazine.
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