Ben & Jerry’s Co‑Founder Jerry Greenfield Resigns, Citing Loss of Independence Under Unilever

Jerry Greenfield, co‑founder of Ben & Jerry’s, has resigned from the ice cream company, saying he could not "in good conscience" remain at a firm he says has been "silenced" by its parent, Unilever.

Greenfield’s departure, revealed in a letter shared on X by fellow co‑founder Ben Cohen, marks the latest development in a public dispute that intensified in 2021 when Unilever reversed an agreement that had allowed Ben & Jerry’s to restrict sales in occupied Palestinian territories. The Vermont‑based brand has since sued Unilever, alleging efforts to suppress its public positions, and has described the Gaza conflict as "genocide." A spokesperson for Magnum Ice Cream Company, part of Unilever’s ice cream division, said the company was grateful to Greenfield for co‑founding Ben & Jerry’s and wished him well, while also saying it disagrees with his perspective and has sought to engage the co‑founders constructively.

In his letter, Greenfield said the brand’s independence — the basis on which Ben & Jerry’s was sold to Unilever in 2000 for $326 million — had been eroded. "It's profoundly disappointing to come to the conclusion that that independence, the very basis of our sale to Unilever, is gone," he wrote. Magnum said Greenfield stepped down as a brand ambassador and is not a party to the company’s lawsuit against Unilever.

Unilever and its Magnum unit have defended their stewardship of Ben & Jerry’s, saying they remain committed to the company’s three‑part social mission of product, economic and social goals and that they are focused on preserving the brand’s legacy. The company noted it will continue to build the business as part of The Magnum Ice Cream Company.

The current conflict traces to 2021, when Ben & Jerry’s announced it would stop selling its ice cream in what it described as the "occupied Palestinian territories." Unilever, which owns the brand, later said the company would be unable to enforce that decision in a way that would comply with its broader legal and commercial obligations, touching off public and legal battles over control of the brand’s messaging and autonomy.

Ben & Jerry’s has pursued an independent public profile and high‑visibility activism for decades, partnering with artists, athletes and advocacy groups and launching politically themed flavors. Past initiatives include a collaboration with Colin Kaepernick on a nonfat frozen yogurt called "Change the Whirled," the 2009 renaming of the Chubby Hubby flavor to support same‑sex marriage in Vermont, and alliances with racial‑justice organizations. The brand’s social commentary has at times provoked strong public reaction, including a July 4, 2023, post urging a return of stolen Indigenous land, which drew accusations of anti‑American sentiment and calls for a boycott.

Tensions between the founders and Unilever have extended beyond policy disputes. Ben Cohen has publicly urged efforts to "free Ben & Jerry’s" from Unilever control and has been active in protests, including an incident in May when he was removed from a Senate hearing after disrupting testimony about U.S. support for Israel. Cohen also said the founders attempted to engineer a sale of the Vermont business to investors at an estimated fair market value of $1.5 billion to $2.5 billion, a proposal Unilever rejected, according to statements from the founders.

The dispute comes as Unilever prepares a planned November listing of its ice‑cream business, Magnum Ice Cream, in which Unilever said it will initially retain a 20 percent stake and expects to reduce that holding over time. Ben & Jerry’s has called for a spin‑off of the brand ahead of that listing.

Ben & Jerry’s sale to Unilever in 2000 carried a merger agreement intended to preserve its social mission, but the parties have clashed over the scope and application of that pact. In filings and public statements, Ben & Jerry’s has accused Unilever of seeking to limit its ability to take public stances and to silence criticism; Unilever has countered that it has engaged with the co‑founders and seeks to maintain Ben & Jerry’s values while running the brand as part of a broader global portfolio.

The lawsuit and resignations add to uncertainty about the future of Ben & Jerry’s high‑profile activism within a global corporate structure. The company, which began in a renovated gas station in Vermont in 1978, built its reputation on a blend of premium ice cream and outspoken social advocacy. As litigation proceeds and Unilever moves forward with its business plans for Magnum, investors and activists will be watching whether the brand’s role as a platform for progressive causes is preserved, curtailed or reshaped under new ownership arrangements and corporate governance.

For now, Ben & Jerry’s continues to operate as part of Unilever’s ice cream division, while the co‑founders’ public campaign for greater autonomy and the company’s legal claims against its parent remain central to the dispute over how far corporate owners can limit the public activism of legacy brands.