Whole Foods co-founder and CEO John Mackey appeared on a podcast with Reason Magazine on Wednesday and expressed his concern with socialism in the United States.
"My concern is that I feel like socialists are taking over," Mackey said.
"They're marching through the institutions," he continued. "They're…taking over education. It looks like they've taken over a lot of the corporations. It looks like they've taken over the military. And it's just continuing."
The 68-year-old is set to retire at the end of the month, and went on by explaining his views as a capitalist and said that a lot of the country's liberties are "under threat."
"You know, I'm a capitalist at heart, and I believe in liberty and capitalism," Mackey said. "Those are my twin values. And I feel like, you know, with the way freedom of speech is today, the movement on gun control, a lot of the liberties that I've taken for granted most of my life, I think, are under threat."
Mackey added that he has been "muzzled" and will be able to speak more freely about politics and his views after he retires.
“In six weeks, I will retire from Whole Foods, and I have muzzled myself ever since 2009," Mackey said.
The Guardian noted that Mackey was referring to his 2009 Wall Street Journal op-ed titled, "The Whole Foods Alternative to ObamaCare."
He then compared himself to Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus, who founded the Job Creators Network, a conservative advocacy group, in 2014, more than a decade after he retired. Marcus also donated financially to President Donald Trump's campaigns in 2016 and 2020.
“People were constantly going after Home Depot to get them to shut up Bernie Marcus. Home Depot has to say Bernie retired over 20 years ago, we can’t get him to shut up, you have to take it to Bernie," Mackey said.
"I was telling my leadership team, pretty soon, you’re going to be hearing about 'crazy John' who’s no longer muzzled, and you’re going to have to say, 'We can’t stop John from talking any longer.'"
Mackey added that he believes the younger generations "don’t seem like they want to work."
“Younger people aren’t quick to work because they want meaningful work," Mackey said. "You can’t expect to start with meaningful work. You’re going to have to earn it over time."
Mackey intends to start a plant-based restaurant chain as well as medical wellness centers that offer fitness and spa services after he retires from Whole Foods, according to Bloomberg.
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