Howard Schultz, the executive chairman of Starbucks, who looked after the development of the coffee chain into a worldwide force, said he is leaving the company after almost four decades of service.

Mr Schultz, who resigned as CEO a year ago, is to give up his seat on the board on 26 June.

The move has brought up issues about his political aspirations.

In a meeting with the New York Times, Mr Schultz did not rule out a run for president.

“One of the things I want to do in my next chapter is to figure out if there is a role I can play in giving back,” he said.

“I’m not exactly sure what that means yet.”

He added: “I want to be of service to our country, but that doesn’t mean I need to run for public office to accomplish that.”