Richard Schulze

Founder & Chairman Emeritus, Best Buy

Search every verified Richard Schulze interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Richard M. Schulze, founder and chairman emeritus of Best Buy, has focused his recent public appearances on the 10th anniversary of Entrepreneur & Innovation Exchange (EIX.org) and FamilyBusiness.org, two online publications funded by his family foundation. In an April 2024 interview, Schulze discussed the growth of the platforms from 2,000 to 12 million users, describing them as vetted resources for entrepreneurs and family businesses. He stated that his mission is to help more entrepreneurs succeed, which he said creates jobs and benefits communities. Schulze also highlighted e-Fest, an entrepreneurship competition, as a celebration of entrepreneurs from across the country. In a December 2024 discussion on family business, Schulze argued that family businesses are important because they have already overcome initial challenges and have a reputation and place in the community. He emphasized that change is constant and that businesses must evolve with the next generation of customers. He credited Best Buy's on-the-floor employees for helping him understand customer needs and noted that during Best Buy's expansion, 576 competitors in the industry failed because they would not change to stay in tune with their customers. In earlier media appearances, Schulze commented on the supply chain and inflation, stating in 2021 that the average American worker had been underpaid and that workers need to be paid more, while also noting that Best Buy had gotten ahead of the curve on holiday inventory.