Ben & Jerry’s Co‑Founder Jerry Greenfield Leaves, Says Brand Has Been 'Silenced, Sidelined'

Jerry Greenfield, co‑founder of Ben & Jerry’s, announced his departure from the ice cream maker after 47 years, saying the brand’s ability to speak out on social issues has been stifled by parent company Unilever.

In a letter posted on social media platform X by fellow co‑founder Ben Cohen on Greenfield’s behalf, Greenfield said the independent voice that allowed Ben & Jerry’s to take public stands on peace, justice and human rights “is gone.” He said that independence had been protected by a unique merger agreement negotiated with Unilever when the company was acquired, and called it “profoundly disappointing” that the protections have been eroded.

Greenfield wrote that the loss of independence came "at a time when our country’s current administration is attacking civil rights, voting rights, the rights of immigrants, women and the LGBTQ community," and said Ben & Jerry’s had been "silenced, sidelined for fear of upsetting those in power." He described the brand as "more than just ice cream," a vehicle for advancing equity and justice.

Unilever is in the process of spinning off its ice cream business, including Ben & Jerry’s, into a standalone company called The Magnum Ice Cream Company. A spokesperson for Magnum said the company "would be forever grateful" to Greenfield for his contributions and thanked him for his service, but added it disagreed with his characterization of events. Magnum said it had sought to engage both co‑founders "in a constructive conversation on how to strengthen Ben & Jerry’s powerful values‑based position in the world" and that it remained committed to carrying forward the brand’s legacy.

The split between Ben & Jerry’s and Unilever has been publicly contentious for several years. Unilever acquired Ben & Jerry’s in 2000 for $326 million, with the co‑founders negotiating an agreement that enshrined the company’s social mission in its governance. The acquisition was presented at the time as a partnership that would expand the Vermont‑based ice cream maker’s social impact while providing broader commercial reach.

Tensions surfaced most visibly in 2021 when Ben & Jerry’s announced it would stop selling ice cream in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and in contested east Jerusalem. The move led Unilever to sell its Israel business the following year to a local company that planned to sell Ben & Jerry’s under its Hebrew and Arabic name across Israel and the West Bank.

In March 2024, Unilever announced plans to spin off its ice cream business into a standalone company by the end of 2025 as part of a broader restructuring. That month, Ben & Jerry’s filed a federal court complaint saying Unilever unlawfully removed and replaced Ben & Jerry’s CEO David Stever without following the consultation process required by the merger agreement. Unilever said it hoped the Ben & Jerry’s board would follow agreed procedures.

The legal conflict continued in November, when Ben & Jerry’s sued Unilever in federal court in New York, accusing the parent company of blocking the ice cream maker from making statements in support of Palestinians during the Gaza war. In that complaint, Ben & Jerry’s said Unilever refused to allow a social media post that identified issues the company expected would be at stake during a potential second presidential term, including topics such as minimum wage, health care, abortion and climate policy.

Unilever, a London‑based consumer goods company that also owns brands such as Dove and Hellmann’s, has said it remains committed to Ben & Jerry’s mission. The company’s announced spinoff of its ice cream operations is part of a larger effort to simplify its business.

Greenfield’s departure marks a new chapter for a brand long associated with progressive activism and cause‑driven marketing. Company and parent‑company statements indicate continued disagreement over how Ben & Jerry’s values should be expressed and governed as the business transitions to new ownership and corporate structure. Greenfield did not specify an exact departure date in the letter posted by Cohen.

The move leaves in place unresolved legal and governance disputes between Ben & Jerry’s and Unilever as the brand — and its social mission — face transition to the Magnum Ice Cream Company and further scrutiny over who will control public communications and policy positions going forward.