Shareholders At 30 Major US Companies Reject Anti-DEI Proposals
Shareholders at 30 major US companies, including Costco, Apple, and Mastercard, overwhelmingly rejected anti-DEI proposals during the 2025 proxy season. The companies, worth a combined $13 trillion, saw most proposals defeated by margins of 98% to 99%.
The shareholder voting results were tracked by Impactivize, a nonprofit project focused on DEI in the private sector. “Shareholder voting margins send a clear message: Investors understand that diversity is good for business,” said the project’s founder in a press release.
30 Major companies back DEI
Impactivize analyzed anti-DEI proposals sent to companies and found that 99% rejected those proposals. Out of all 30 companies, the most notable tallies were Costco (98-2%), Apple (98-2%), and Coca-Cola. The voting outcomes align with research highlighting the benefits of DEI in businesses.
“DEI isn’t illegal, and it’s not going anywhere,” said attorney Jon Hyman, an Impactivize advisory board member. “Companies backing away from DEI aren’t protecting themselves—they’re setting themselves up to fall behind.”
Costco, Coca-Cola, and Apple support DEI
Costo has stood firm on its DEI commitments, seeing them as fundamental to its business growth and operational success. Forbes reported that Costco believes a “diverse group of employees helps bring originality and creativity to our merchandise offerings, promoting the ‘treasure hunt’ that our customers value.” This underlines how workforce diversity directly fuels the success of Costco’s business model.
Coca-Cola rejected a proposal from the conservative National Legal and Policy Center to reassess executive pay and DEI hiring goals. Just 1.1% of shareholders backed it, noting the company already reviews these areas regularly.
Apple’s board also opposed a proposal from the National Center for Public Policy Research to eliminate its Inclusion & Diversity program entirely.
Image: Open Grid Scheduler / Grid Engine/Flickr
