John Mackey co-founded Whole Foods in 1980 with Renee Lawson Hardy, Craig Weller, and Mark Skiles, leading the company for the last 22 years. With more than 500 stores in North America and the UK, it is leading the world in providing natural and organic foods.
Whole Foods is known for its high-quality products and commitment to the planet. Paper bags are the only option, and the staff prepares fresh seafood and meats daily. The Sourced for Good program supports workers and communities where products are sourced to provide improved wages, health care, student scholarships, and trees to prevent erosion.
Mackey sensed a hostile takeover attempt by investors and set out to find a buyer, but neither Warren Buffet nor Albertsons wanted to purchase the company. Amazon bought Whole Foods in 2017 for $13.7 billion, becoming an experiment for Amazon.