Ben & Jerry's co-founder Ben Cohen is actively campaigning to "Free Ben & Jerry's" from its current owner, Magnum, which is a spin-off of Unilever. Cohen, along with co-founder Jerry Greenfield, sold the company to Unilever in 2000 for $326 million with a unique agreement that protected an independent board's final say on the brand's voice, values, and ice cream quality. However, Cohen now contends that this independence has largely disappeared. The campaign follows a lawsuit filed in November 2024 by Ben & Jerry's board against Unilever, claiming they were blocked from supporting Gaza and accusing Unilever of breaching their acquisition agreement.
Cohen initiated his campaign in September 2025 after Unilever announced it would spin off its ice cream brands into the Magnum Ice Cream Company. He is asking Magnum to sell Ben & Jerry's so it can be independently owned and operated, emphasizing that social activism is a core reason customers buy Ben & Jerry's. He estimates the brand could be valued at $1 billion or more but claims Magnum has not provided accurate valuation numbers. Magnum, however, has stated that Ben & Jerry's is not for sale, with a spokesperson asserting that "Ben & Jerry's is thriving as part of the Magnum Ice Cream Company" and that its revenue has grown more than fivefold since the 2000 acquisition.
To pressure Magnum, Cohen has called for a boycott of Magnum's other brands, including Yasso, Breyers, Talenti, and Klondike, hoping that reduced overall sales will force Magnum to sell Ben & Jerry's back. While some industry experts believe such a boycott is unlikely to succeed due to the difficulty of sustained collective action, Cohen believes loyal customers will support the cause. He highlights that he has gathered approximately 200,000 signatures and received encouraging social media messages from supporters.
The dispute intensified after Unilever reportedly ousted Ben & Jerry's CEO David Stever in 2025, a move Ben & Jerry's suggested was intended to stifle its social mission, including a quashed plan to sell a watermelon flavor to support Palestine. Following this, co-founder Jerry Greenfield resigned from the company, stating that the independence, which was the basis of their sale to Unilever, was gone. Additionally, the Ben & Jerry's philanthropic foundation was forced to close in July 2026 after Magnum cut its funding, citing "governance and conflict-of-interest issues."
