Ben & Jerry's founders say brand must be 'freed' from owners after being 'silenced'
The co-founders of Ben & Jerry's have spoken out against the brand's corporate owners ahead of plans to list it on the stock market.
Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, Ben and Jerry, sold the company they founded to multinational giant Unilever back in 2000, and no longer have any financial stake or formal role in the company they started.
Unilever is planning to list its ice cream holdings, called The Magnum Ice Cream Company (TMICC) including brands like Cornetto, Walls, Magnum, and Ben & Jerry's on the stock market.
But Ben and Jerry have spoken out against the proposal in an open letter to investors and Unilever's board, claiming that the group has 'silenced' the company, including its values around social justice, and that the listing 'must free Ben & Jerry’s'.
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Though the pair have no formal stake in the company, they said they 'feel compelled to speak out – as concerned individuals.'
The letter said: “We are deeply concerned that the commitments made to us, our employees, and our customers are being eroded. For several years now the voice of Ben & Jerry’s has been silenced by Unilever, particularly when the brand has tried to speak out about social justice and unjust wars.
"That is not the Ben & Jerry’s that we founded, or the one that we envisioned when we agreed to join.”
It continued: “We fought to ensure our social justice mission was protected by Unilever when the company was acquired, but over the past several years, this has been eroded, and the company’s voice has been muted. We won’t be silent any more.
"Authenticity has always been at the very heart of what we do, and stripping this away risks destroying the very value of Ben & Jerry’s. We urge the board and potential investors to rethink the inclusion of Ben & Jerry’s in Magnum’s future makeup and establish a Free Ben & Jerry’s.”
The founders have long championed progressive causes, and in May 2025 Ben Cohen was arrested at a protest at the US Senate on US military aid to Israel and humanitarian conditions in Gaza.
Video posted on social media showed Mr Cohen being led from the building by officers, saying: "Congress kills poor kids in Gaza by buying bombs, and pays for it by kicking kids off Medicaid in the US."
A police spokesperson subsequently confirmed that Mr Cohen was charged with crowding, obstructing or incommoding.
This is a misdemeanour offence with is used frequently in cases of civil disobedience in Washington DC.
A spokesperson for TMICC said: “Ben & Jerry’s is a proud part of The Magnum Ice Cream Company and is not for sale. We remain committed to Ben & Jerry’s unique three-part mission – product, economic and social – and look forward to building on its success as an iconic, much-loved business.”
Words by Kit Roberts
The FOODbible Team