Schultz, 64, tells CNBC in an extensive interview he had been planning to leave Starbucks for over a year, but his resignation was delayed by the arrest of two black men at a Philadelphia cafe.

In the interview, he declines to reveal his plans after stepping down as Starbucks chairman.

He isn't ruling out a run for the White House but says: "There's a lot of things I can do as a private citizen other than a run for the presidency of the United States."

Howard Schultz told CNBC on Tuesday he had been planning to leave his company for over a year, but his resignation was delayed by the arrest of two black men at a Philadelphia Starbucks.

In a wide-ranging interview a day after his resignation announcement, Schultz declined to talk specifically about his next step, including speculation that he would challenge President Donald Trump in the 2020 election.