Overview
- Greenfield announced his departure after 47 years, saying the company lost its independence and that he could not remain in good conscience, in a statement posted by Ben Cohen on X.
- Unilever rejected his characterization and said it sought constructive discussions with both founders on strengthening Ben & Jerry’s values globally.
- The rift traces to the brand’s 2021 decision to stop sales in Israeli settlements, which prompted Unilever to rework its Israel licensing and led to legal disputes.
- Cohen and Greenfield pursued an investor-backed buyback reportedly valuing the brand at roughly $1.5 billion to $2.5 billion, but Unilever said the business is not for sale.
- Unilever plans to list its ice-cream division as the Magnum Ice Cream Company in mid-November and intends to retain under a 20% stake.