Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s, has resigned from the ice cream company he started nearly 50 years ago, citing what he called a loss of independence under Unilever’s ownership.
Greenfield announced his decision Tuesday in a statement shared on X by his business partner Ben Cohen.
“It’s with a broken heart that I’ve decided I can no longer, in good conscience, remain an employee of Ben & Jerry’s,” he wrote. Leaving the company I co-founded is a decision filled with deep emotion and hardship”.
Jerry Greenfield – Why he left
Greenfield said the company, long known for blending activism with business, has been “silenced” under Unilever. He argued that the original merger deal, which promised the brand freedom to speak out on social issues, is no longer being honored.
“For more than 20 years under their ownership, Ben & Jerry’s stood up for peace, justice, and human rights,” he said. “It’s profoundly disappointing to conclude that independence is gone.”
Ben & Jerry’s legacy
Greenfield and Cohen launched Ben & Jerry’s in Burlington, Vermont, in 1978. The brand grew into one of the world’s most recognizable ice cream companies, famous for flavors like Cherry Garcia and Half Baked.
In 2000, Unilever purchased Ben & Jerry’s for $326 million. Today, its ice cream division, which includes Ben & Jerry’s and Magnum, is worth about $8 billion.
Net worth of the co-founders
Although exact figures are not public, several reports estimate both Greenfield and Cohen’s net worth between $145 million and $150 million each.
Activism at the core
The co-founders have long tied the brand to social justice causes, including climate change, racial justice, and most recently the Israel-Gaza conflict. Greenfield said those values remain central to him even after leaving the company.
“Since day one, Ben and I have always put our principles above the business itself,” he explained. “If I can’t carry those values forward inside the company, I will carry them forward outside.”
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