Costco Wholesale Corporation COST Chief Executive

What Ron Vachris says in public, and what their own SEC filings show they own.

Ron Vachris

President and Chief Executive Officer · Costco Wholesale Corporation

CEO since January 2024, succeeding Craig Jelinek. Previously served as President and COO from February 2022. Started at Costco as a forklift driver in 1982 and rose through warehouse operations, merchandising, and regional management roles.

Leadership & board →
What they own

Ownership

Skin in the game
16/ 100
Level 1Steward

Vachris owns about 0% of Costco Wholesale Corporation, worth $47.9M at the last close.

SEC filings
29
Stake 52,258 reported shares ≈ 0.0% of shares outstanding — no 13G on file, so an estimate 4/35
Founder No career file yet — the founder axis scores zero until one exists 0/15
Tenure Start date not on file — tenure scores zero until it is 0/10
Track record No career file yet — prior companies score zero until one exists 0/15
Direction No open-market buys or sales in the last year 5/15
Discipline 2 late Form 4s in 29 filings 7/10

Score = stake band (35) + founder (15) + tenure (10) + track record (15) + 12-month direction (−10…15) + filing discipline (10). Every input links to a filing or to the career file; the bands are ours.

Reported · Forms 3, 4, 5 52,258 Every lot on the person's own filings, as of Oct 22, 2025
Paper trail 2 late filings Form 4 covering a 2018-10-02 grant or award in COSTCO WHOLESALE CORP /NEW was filed 2018-10-30, 19 business days later; Section 16 allows two.
Reported Costco Wholesale Corporation shares Forms 3, 4 and 5 · as of 2025-10-22
020K40K60K 2016201720182019202020212022202320242025 Oct 22, 2025: award of 13,834 shares 52,258

Dots mark the months the activity below moved the line. Hover one for the filing.

How the stake is held
SecurityHeld viaShares
Common StockDirect52,258
Reported as of 2025-10-2252,258
Held directly
100%
Vehicles
None
Last filing
Oct 24, 2025
Activity · last 12 months 2 events folded from 3 filing lines · Every filing on EDGAR ↗
DateTypeWhat happenedSharesPriceValueNote
Oct 22, 2025 Award Grant or award +13,834 — —
Oct 22, 2025 Tax Shares withheld for tax across 2 lots −2,652 $944.96 $2.5M
Every issuer Ron Vachris files as an insider of
CompanyRoleReportedBeneficial% of class
COST COSTCO WHOLESALE CORP /NEW This page President and CEO 52,258
2025-10-22		 — —

Reported is every lot on the person's own Forms 3, 4 and 5 — direct and through trusts. Beneficial is the figure stated on the latest Schedule 13D/G cover page, which can exclude shares the person disclaims and include options exercisable within 60 days, so the two are never added together.

Paper trail
  • Form 144 Form 144 filed 2025-03-11 announces an intended sale. Filing ↗
  • Sale 2025-03: sold 3,600 COSTCO WHOLESALE CORP /NEW shares for $3,351,600, with the 10b5-1 box unticked (1 filing). Filing ↗
  • Late Form 4 covering a 2018-10-02 grant or award in COSTCO WHOLESALE CORP /NEW was filed 2018-10-30, 19 business days later; Section 16 allows two. Filing ↗
  • Late Form 4 covering a 2017-10-02 grant or award in COSTCO WHOLESALE CORP /NEW was filed 2017-10-05, 3 business days later; Section 16 allows two. Filing ↗
  • Sale 2023-03: sold 4,100 COSTCO WHOLESALE CORP /NEW shares for $1,952,798, with no 10b5-1 plan stated on the filing (1 filing). Filing ↗
  • Amended 4/A filed 2018-10-30 amends an earlier report of a 2018-10-02 grant or award in COSTCO WHOLESALE CORP /NEW. Filing ↗

29 filings under CIK 0001679566 · captured 2026-09-05 · All filings on EDGAR ↗

In their own words

Podcasts, interviews & articles

1 recorded appearance

2026

Ron Vachris, President & CEO, Costco Wholesale, 5/11/26
Talk The Economic Club of Chicago · May 11, 2026 · 54 min

Ron Vachris, President & CEO, Costco Wholesale, 5/11/26

In conversation with United Airlines president Brett Hart, said technology is elevating rather than displacing Costco workers - "we have not displaced people because the business is growing at a faster rate" - and defended keeping the company's diversity practices in place.

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