Burlington, Vermont was buzzing with excitement as Ben & Jerry’s celebrated its annual Free Cone Day. However, co-founder Ben Cohen took the opportunity to voice concerns regarding the brand’s independence and social commitments. Standing at the very corner where the first Ben & Jerry’s shop opened in 1978, Cohen called for the sale of the company from its current owner, The Magnum Ice Cream Co. He accused Magnum of suppressing the brand’s social activism, highlighting specific instances where the company allegedly blocked posts related to Black History Month, calls for a ceasefire in Gaza, and support for student protests.
“The longer this goes on, the more they’re destroying the brand equity,” Cohen stated, underlining the tension between his vision for the company and the current ownership. His comments come in the wake of Jerry Greenfield’s resignation from the company last September, which he described as a “painful” decision citing a loss of independence after nearly five decades with the brand.
Cohen, while still affiliated with the company as a paid employee, claimed to have no power or responsibilities in the current corporate structure. He appraised Ben & Jerry’s worth to be between $1.5 billion and $2 billion. Although he refrained from naming potential investors interested in purchasing the company, he expressed confidence that they would be willing to engage with Magnum, which is headquartered in Amsterdam.
However, Magnum firmly responded, asserting that Ben & Jerry’s is not for sale. According to their statement, “Ben & Jerry’s is a proud and thriving part of The Magnum Ice Cream Company. We remain fully committed to the Ben & Jerry’s model and its three-part mission — product, economic and social.”
Cohen’s protest is part of a broader, ongoing campaign aimed at regaining Ben & Jerry’s independence. The journey of the company reflects a complex evolution. In 2000, Unilever, a multinational conglomerate known for brands like Dove and Hellmann’s, acquired Ben & Jerry’s for $326 million. At that time, Cohen and Greenfield believed the acquisition would help the brand expand its social mission globally, as Unilever had agreed to allow an independent board to pursue its agenda related to racial justice and other humanitarian causes.
However, the brand has faced controversies since then, particularly in 2021, when Ben & Jerry’s announced it would cease operations in Israeli settlements, a move that drew significant backlash. Unilever distanced itself from that decision, ultimately selling its Israeli business to a local company that now distributes Ben & Jerry’s throughout Israel and the West Bank. In 2024, Ben & Jerry’s even filed a lawsuit against Unilever, alleging that its previous ownership stifled its social justice statements.
The paths of Ben & Jerry’s took another shift in March 2024, when Unilever announced a spinoff of its ice cream business, which included the beloved ice cream brand. This transition culminated in Magnum becoming an independent company in July 2025. As one of the largest ice cream companies globally, Magnum also manages well-known brands such as Breyers and Cornetto.
As Free Cone Day festivities continued, the community in Burlington was reminded not only of the frosty treats that have become a cultural staple but also of the brand’s roots in social activism, which are now the subject of debate and contention among its founders.
