James D. Sinegal (born January 1, 1936) is the American businessman who co-founded Costco Wholesale with Jeff Brotman and served as its president and CEO from 1983 until his retirement in 2011. Starting his career as a grocery bagger at FedMart in 1955, he rose through the ranks and became a protégé of Sol Price, the "father" of the warehouse club concept, before launching Costco. Known for a humanitarian, hands-on management style, Sinegal prioritized employee and customer satisfaction over shareholder interests, famously stating in 2005 that he wanted to build a company that would last 50 to 60 years. His innovations made Costco the first warehouse club to offer fresh food, pharmacies, eye-care clinics, and gas stations, while his generous compensation and benefits—covering over 90% of employees with health insurance—resulted in one of the lowest turnover rates in retail. In 1993, he navigated a partial merger with Price Club to form PriceCostco, but the companies split in 1994, and the firm was renamed Costco Wholesale in 1997. Throughout his career, Sinegal traveled to every store annually to inspect operations, cementing his legacy as a leader who valued long-term stability over short-term profits.