Jerry Greenfield Quits Ben & Jerry’s After Clash With Unilever
Co-founder leaves after 47 years, citing loss of independence and stifled social mission under Unilever.
Burlington, September 17 EST: Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s, has resigned after 47 years, saying the ice cream brand has lost its independence under Unilever.
Greenfield, 74, said he could no longer stay “in good conscience” with a company he believes has been silenced on social issues. His exit marks the end of one of the most visible founder ties in American consumer goods.
The Break With Unilever
When Unilever bought Ben & Jerry’s in 2000, the deal gave the Vermont company rare protections. It was allowed to keep speaking out on political and social causes even while under corporate ownership.
Greenfield now says those protections have eroded. “I love Ben & Jerry’s,” he said in a statement reported by the Associated Press, “but it’s not the company I founded anymore.”
The West Bank Fallout
Tensions grew in 2021 after Ben & Jerry’s said it would stop sales in Israeli-occupied West Bank areas. The move triggered lawsuits and political pushback. Unilever responded by selling the Israeli distribution rights to a local partner, a step Greenfield and co-founder Ben Cohen opposed.
That decision became a turning point. Since then, Greenfield argues, the brand’s activist voice has been steadily muted.
A Failed Buyback
According to Reuters, Greenfield and Cohen tried to buy the company back. Their bid, worth between $1.5 billion and $2.5 billion, was rejected by Unilever.
Unilever has pushed back against the founders’ claims. The company said it has worked to preserve Ben & Jerry’s values and engaged the co-founders in “constructive dialogue.”
What Happens Next
Unilever is spinning off its entire ice cream portfolio into a new entity, The Magnum Ice Cream Company. Ben & Jerry’s will be part of that group.
For Unilever, Greenfield’s departure does not change sales forecasts. For consumers, it could shift how the brand is seen. Ben & Jerry’s has built its reputation not only on flavors but also on outspoken political stands.
Cohen remains involved, though it is unclear whether he will stay once the spin-off is complete. If he leaves, Unilever will be left with a profitable but conventional ice cream brand, stripped of the founders who made it distinct.
Greenfield framed his move as protest rather than retirement. “Ben & Jerry’s was meant to be more than ice cream,” he said. “It was meant to be a voice.”
The tension between profit and principle has shaped the company since it began in a converted Vermont gas station in 1978. With Greenfield gone, the question is whether that balance can survive inside a multinational parent.
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A Wall Street veteran turned investigative journalist, Marcus brings over two decades of financial insight into boardrooms, IPOs, corporate chess games, and economic undercurrents. Known for asking uncomfortable questions in comfortable suits.
