Ashley Buchanan’s financial and professional life has been a rollercoaster, especially in 2025, with his abrupt exit from Kohl’s making headlines. Let’s unpack his wealth and the scandal that cost him his CEO seat. While exact figures aren’t publicly available, we can piece together a solid estimate based on his career trajectory, executive compensation, and the fallout from his termination.
What Is Ashley Buchanan’s Net Worth and Salary in 2025?
Buchanan’s wealth is rooted in his high-profile roles at Walmart, Michaels, and Kohl’s. At Walmart, where he spent over a decade climbing the ranks to become chief merchandising officer for e-commerce, he likely earned a hefty salary and stock options, though specifics aren’t disclosed. His move to Michaels as CEO in 2020 would have come with a significant pay bump, especially since he joined during a pivotal time when the company was later taken private by Apollo Global Management.
Private equity deals often include lucrative exit packages for top executives, so it’s safe to assume Buchanan walked away with a comfortable sum. Then came Kohl’s, where his compensation package was eye-popping: a $3.75 million signing bonus and $15 million in restricted stock awards meant to vest over three years. Even though he lost the stock and had to repay part of the bonus after his firing, his earnings from previous roles and other board positions (like TreeHouse Foods and Macy’s) suggest his net worth sits in the $20 million range. Not billionaire territory, but certainly multimillionaire status.
Now, let’s talk about his short-lived stint at Kohl’s. Buchanan was brought in as CEO in January 2025, replacing Tom Kingsbury, with a compensation package reportedly more than double his predecessor’s. That’s a big deal for a company struggling with declining sales and stiff competition from giants like Walmart and Amazon. But just 100 days into the job, he was fired for cause after an investigation revealed he’d steered a multi-million-dollar consulting deal to a vendor, Chandra Holt, with whom he had a prior personal relationship.
The details are juicy: the contract had “highly unusual terms” favorable to Holt’s company, Incredibrew, and Buchanan failed to disclose their connection. Kohl’s didn’t mince words in their SEC filing, calling it a violation of company policy and conflict of interest. The fallout was swift. Buchanan forfeited the unvested $15 million in stock, had to repay $2.5 million of his signing bonus, and was booted from Kohl’s board. Overnight, his golden parachute turned into a lead balloon.
What’s wild is how quickly this all unfolded. Buchanan was supposed to be the guy to turn Kohl’s around, a seasoned retail exec with Walmart and Michaels under his belt. Instead, he became the latest in a string of short-lived CEOs for the struggling retailer, following Michelle Gass’s departure to Levi’s and Kingsbury’s brief tenure. The timing couldn’t be worse for Kohl’s, which is bleeding sales and facing existential questions about its place in the retail landscape.
Buchanan’s exit didn’t crater the stock—in fact, shares jumped 8% on the news, likely because investors saw the firing as a sign the board was taking governance seriously. But it’s a Band-Aid on a bullet wound. The company’s bigger issues—like how to compete with e-commerce and discount chains—remain unsolved.
As for Ashley Buchanan’s next move, it’s unclear. Getting fired for cause is a career stain, especially when it involves ethics violations. He’s still on the board of TreeHouse Foods, but his reputation as a CEO is dinged. That said, corporate America has a short memory, and if he lays low for a while, he could resurface in a consulting role or maybe even another executive position down the line. But for now, his story is a cautionary tale about mixing personal and professional relationships at the highest levels of business.
Financially, he’s far from ruined. Even after repaying part of his signing bonus and losing the Kohl’s stock, his wealth from previous roles likely keeps him comfortable. But the bigger hit is to his credibility. Buchanan was supposed to be a turnaround artist, a steady hand for Kohl’s. Instead, he’s the guy who got canned after three months because of a scandal. That’s the kind of thing that sticks to your name, no matter how much money you’ve got in the bank.
