Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of iconic ice cream brand Ben & Jerry’s, has announced his resignation after 47 years with the company, highlighting ongoing tensions between the brand’s founders and its parent company, Unilever. The announcement was shared via an open letter on social media platform X by Greenfield’s co-founder, Ben Cohen, on 17 September 2025.
Greenfield and Cohen founded Ben & Jerry’s in 1978 and sold the company to Unilever in 2000 for $326 million. At the time of the sale, the co-founders negotiated a unique merger agreement designed to protect the company’s social mission and maintain operational independence within the larger corporate structure. In his resignation letter, Greenfield stated that this independence has eroded, calling his departure “one of the hardest and most painful decisions” of his career.
“For more than 20 years under Unilever’s ownership, Ben & Jerry’s stood up for peace, justice, and human rights—not as abstract principles but in response to real-world events,” Greenfield wrote.
“This independence existed in no small part because of the merger agreement Ben and I negotiated, which enshrined our social mission and values in the company’s governance structure in perpetuity.”
The relationship between the co-founders and Unilever has grown increasingly strained in recent years, with Greenfield and Cohen alleging that the conglomerate has curtailed the brand’s ability to take political and social stances. In March 2025, they publicly accused Unilever of removing Ben & Jerry’s CEO David Stever due to his commitment to the company’s social mission.
Tensions have intensified following Unilever’s formation of the Magnum Ice Cream Company, part of a strategic spin-off of its ice cream business. Earlier this month, Greenfield and Cohen urged the Magnum board to allow Ben & Jerry’s to maintain operational independence. “We no longer believe that Ben & Jerry’s can thrive as part of a conglomerate that fails to support its founding mission,” they wrote. “The strength of Ben & Jerry’s lies in the authenticity of its values and its voice, whether in opposing crimes against humanity, supporting marriage equality, or demanding climate justice.”
Greenfield’s departure underscores the broader challenges faced by mission-driven brands operating under large corporate ownership. The move raises questions about how global F&B conglomerates can balance commercial priorities with the values and social missions of their acquired brands—an issue increasingly relevant in a market where consumers increasingly favor purpose-led companies.
