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Ben & Jerry’s Board Chair Refuses to Quit as Magnum’s Market Debut Nears

Magnum cites an audit to challenge governance at the Ben & Jerry's Foundation, escalating pressure on the brand's independent board.

Overview

  • Magnum begins trading on Euronext Amsterdam on Monday, taking over the fraught relationship with Ben & Jerry’s and its independent board.
  • Magnum CEO Peter ter Kulve told the Financial Times it is time for the founders to hand over the brand and move on, a message that also referenced longtime foundation trustees.
  • An audit of the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation reported deficiencies in financial controls, governance, and conflict‑of‑interest policies, findings Mittal rejects as a manufactured inquiry.
  • The foundation’s trustees say Unilever and Magnum have withheld contractually owed funding and are pressing for Anuradha Mittal’s removal as a trustee despite the foundation’s cooperation with the audit.
  • Magnum warned in securities filings that Ben & Jerry’s actions could spur reputational damage, boycotts, or investor claims as legal clashes continue over statements on the Israeli‑occupied Palestinian territories.