Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Ben Cohen used the ice cream brand’s Free Cone Day event in Burlington, Vermont, to renew a public call for ownership changes, urging The Magnum Ice Cream Company to sell the company so Ben & Jerry’s could once again operate independently. Cohen said Magnum’s control has restricted Ben & Jerry’s ability to make posts that align with its social mission.
Speaking at the corner where he opened his first ice cream shop in 1978 and where the first Free Cone Day was held a year later, Cohen said he wants Ben & Jerry’s sold to a group of “socially-minded investors.” He said Magnum has kept the brand from issuing certain messages he described as part of the company’s activism, including a post supporting Black History Month.
Cohen said Magnum also prevented Ben & Jerry’s from posting what he called a ceasefire message related to Gaza, adding that Ben & Jerry’s wanted to support the student protesters but that Magnum “wouldn’t allow that.” Cohen said the longer the ownership dispute continues, the more it “destroy[es] the brand equity,” and he argued that Magnum’s approach is undermining Ben & Jerry’s long-running identity.
In describing the company’s current leadership status, Cohen said Jerry Greenfield resigned from Ben & Jerry’s in September 2025, calling it a “painful” decision after nearly 50 years with the brand and citing the disappearance of its independence. Cohen said he is still a paid employee of Ben & Jerry’s, but that he has “no authority or responsibilities.”
Cohen said he believes Ben & Jerry’s is worth between $1.5 billion and $2 billion and said he would not name investors interested in buying the brand. He said the potential buyers are eager to talk to Magnum, which is based in Amsterdam, and he renewed his call directly at Magnum’s ownership level.
Magnum responded Tuesday by rejecting Cohen’s request, saying Ben & Jerry’s is not for sale. In a statement, Magnum said, “Ben & Jerry’s is a proud and thriving part of The Magnum Ice Cream Company,” and said it remains committed to the Ben & Jerry’s model and its “three-part mission — product, economic and social.”
Cohen’s comments fit into a broader ownership history. Unilever acquired Ben & Jerry’s in 2000 for $326 million, and at the time its deal included an agreement that Ben & Jerry’s independent board would be free to pursue the company’s social mission. The story includes a later period of controversy in which Ben & Jerry’s announced in 2021 it would stop serving Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and contested east Jerusalem, a move that led to criticism from Israel and distancing by Unilever.
The cluster also describes later steps involving Ben & Jerry’s, Unilever, and ownership changes tied to Unilever’s broader strategy. Unilever spinoff plans culminated in the company announcing its ice cream business spinoff in March 2024, with Ben & Jerry’s included; Magnum became an independent company in July 2025, and it also owns ice cream brands including Breyers and Cornetto. In the meantime, the dispute included Ben & Jerry’s suing Unilever in 2024, with Ben & Jerry’s alleging it was silenced on statements supporting Palestinians during the Gaza war and that Unilever blocked some social media posts and threatened to dismantle the independent board.
Against that backdrop, Cohen’s latest attempt to reshape ownership is also a continuation of his campaign to restore what he described as Ben & Jerry’s independence. Magnum’s position on Tuesday—staying committed to the Ben & Jerry’s three-part mission and declining to sell—sets up a renewed standoff between Cohen’s push and the company’s stated refusal.