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Costco Goes All-In On DEI, Blasts Firms That Are Backing Away From Liberal Agenda

A Costco board member has taken aim at companies rolling back diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies, calling for businesses to “maximize” DEI instead as the wholesaler faces pressure to join the growing list of brands ditching the controversial practice.

Jeff Raikes, co-founder of the Raikes Foundation and former CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, has served on Costco’s board of directors since 2008, according to Costco’s corporate website. Raikes and other board members have come under scrutiny in recent days after they shut down a shareholder request to dismantle DEI internally and called on other shareholders to vote against the proposal seeking to eliminate Costco’s DEI program in an upcoming meeting.

The board’s position came as a surprise to some, in light of a recent corporate trend that’s spurred a widespread abandonment of DEI policies. But a Fox News Digital assessment of Raikes’ online history revealed a staunch proponent of DEI practices – and a man on a mission to discourage companies from biding them farewell.

While businesses began to announce their departures from DEI policies last year, Raikes urged companies to expand such practices at work, insisting that scaling down DEI in businesses would harm the economy.

In a November post about the decline of DEI, Raikes argued, “Attacks on DEI aren’t just bad for business—they hurt our economy. A diverse workforce drives innovation, expands markets, and fuels growth. Let’s focus on building a future where all talent thrives.” He concluded his post on X with the hashtag, “InclusiveEconomy.”

A month earlier, Raikes similarly railed against the growing number of companies abandoning DEI policies as critics deemed them discriminatory in hiring.

“#DEI isn’t just the right thing to do; it’s essential for driving innovation and business success. Scaling back DEI efforts weakens companies’ ability to grow, innovate, and connect with diverse markets,” he wrote.

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