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Ben & Jerry’s Co-founder Expects Corporate Tensions to Persist Under New Ownership
Ice cream brand Ben & Jerry’s is set to change corporate hands next month, but for co-founder Ben Cohen, it’s a case of “new boss, same as the old boss.”
Starting in November, Ben & Jerry’s will come under the ownership of Magnum Ice Cream, which will officially spin off from its current parent company, London-based Unilever (ULVR.L). Cohen expects the long-running tensions between Ben & Jerry’s and Unilever to continue even after the split, as he pursues efforts to buy back the brand he co-founded in 1978.
Cohen said Magnum is restricting the brand’s ability to speak out on progressive issues such as Palestinian rights and U.S. immigration policy. Last year, Ben & Jerry’s sued Unilever, claiming it violated a long-standing agreement guaranteeing the ice cream maker’s independent board and its commitment to social missions.
“Unilever’s control over Ben & Jerry’s is no different from the control Magnum is now exerting,” Cohen told Reuters. “Both are demonstrating the same repressive tendencies.”
In a statement, Magnum said only about 2% of Ben & Jerry’s social media posts in recent years have involved contentious issues. “We’ve always worked closely with Ben & Jerry’s teams to strike a balanced message consistent with our original agreement for a progressive, nonpartisan social mission,” the company said.
Together with Unilever, both firms have previously said they tried to engage Cohen and co-founder Jerry Greenfield in discussions on strengthening the brand’s values-based positioning.
Unilever declined to comment on Wednesday.
Peter ter Kulve, formerly head of Unilever’s ice cream division and now CEO of Magnum, was named in court filings as having barred Ben & Jerry’s from making any statements critical of former U.S. President Donald Trump. Unilever had earlier declined to comment on that allegation.
Cohen said the dispute is likely to intensify once Magnum becomes independent, given that Ben & Jerry’s will represent a major part of its business. “This is going to be more of a problem for Magnum than it ever was for Unilever,” he said.
Cohen has previously met ter Kulve in Vermont — where Ben & Jerry’s is headquartered — and in Europe, though attempts to settle the case have failed.
According to a company presentation from June 2025, Ben & Jerry’s generated around €1.1 billion ($1.28 billion) in revenue in 2024, making it Magnum’s third-largest brand. By comparison, Magnum brought in €7.9 billion, while Unilever’s total 2024 revenue reached €60.8 billion.
Cohen said he and a group of investors are trying to buy back Ben & Jerry’s for between $1.5 billion and $2 billion, but claim that Unilever and Magnum have withheld key financial data. He did not identify the investors. Magnum said in a statement that Ben & Jerry’s “is not for sale.”
Cohen said he still plans to pursue the buyback effort, arguing that owning the brand would allow investors to focus on profitability “without having to grapple with the standards Ben & Jerry’s maintains through its social mission.”
Founded in 1978 by Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, Ben & Jerry’s became a national icon for its quirky, countercultural ice cream flavors inspired by 1960s psychedelia. “Cherry Garcia” was named after Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia, while the now-retired “Wavy Gravy” honored the entertainer and peace activist who emceed the 1969 Woodstock Festival.
Cohen and Greenfield sold the company to Unilever in 2000.
Last month, Greenfield resigned as brand ambassador in protest over Unilever’s actions.
The rift between Ben & Jerry’s and Unilever dates back to 2021, when the ice cream maker decided to halt sales in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, sparking a political and corporate firestorm that continues to this day.
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