BURLINGTON, Vt. — While Ben & Jerry’s marked its traditional Free Cone Day celebration on Tuesday, co-founder Ben Cohen had his sights set on a completely different kind of liberation.
Standing at the very location where he launched his first ice cream parlor in 1978 — the same spot that hosted the inaugural Free Cone Day the following year — Cohen demanded that The Magnum Ice Cream Co. put the beloved brand up for sale. According to Cohen, Magnum is blocking Ben & Jerry’s ability to take stands on social issues, and he envisions the company being purchased by investors who share its progressive values.
“Magnum prevented Ben & Jerry’s from putting out a post supporting Black History Month,” Cohen stated. “(Ben & Jerry’s) wanted to come out with a post calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. Magnum prevented that. We wanted to support the student protesters. Magnum wouldn’t allow that.”
“The longer this goes on, the more they’re destroying the brand equity,” Cohen continued.
Cohen’s business partner Jerry Greenfield stepped down from the company in September 2025, describing the choice as “painful” after spending almost five decades with the organization and expressing frustration over the loss of corporate independence in his departure letter. While Cohen remains on the company payroll, he stated he holds no decision-making power or operational duties.
According to Cohen’s estimates, Ben & Jerry’s current market value falls somewhere between $1.5 billion and $2 billion. Though he declined to identify specific potential buyers, Cohen indicated that interested investors are ready to enter discussions with Amsterdam-based Magnum.
Nevertheless, Magnum declared Tuesday that the ice cream brand remains off the market.
“Ben & Jerry’s is a proud and thriving part of The Magnum Ice Cream Company,” the company stated. “We remain fully committed to the Ben & Jerry’s model and its three-part mission — product, economic and social.”
Tuesday’s demonstration represents Cohen’s most recent effort in an ongoing multi-year push to restore Ben & Jerry’s independence. The company’s ownership journey began when London-based conglomerate Unilever purchased Ben & Jerry’s in 2000 for $326 million — equivalent to roughly $625 million in today’s currency. Both founders initially praised the acquisition, believing it would help spread their Vermont-based company’s progressive agenda worldwide. The purchase agreement included provisions allowing Ben & Jerry’s independent board to continue championing social causes, including racial equality, election finance reform, and ethical trade practices.
Tensions escalated in 2021 when Ben & Jerry’s declared it would cease operations in Israeli settlements within the occupied West Bank and disputed areas of east Jerusalem. Israel criticized the decision, prompting Unilever to distance itself from the move. The following year, Unilever transferred its Israeli operations to a domestic company that pledged to distribute Ben & Jerry’s products throughout Israel and the West Bank. In 2024, Ben & Jerry’s filed a lawsuit against Unilever, claiming the parent company was suppressing pro-Palestinian statements during the Gaza conflict. The ice cream maker also alleged that Unilever blocked social media content criticizing President Donald Trump and made threats to eliminate Ben & Jerry’s independent governing board.
Unilever revealed plans to separate its ice cream division — which includes Ben & Jerry’s — in March 2024 as part of a broader corporate restructuring focused on health and wellness products rather than food items. Magnum emerged as an independent entity in July 2025 and now ranks among the globe’s largest ice cream manufacturers, controlling brands such as Breyers and Cornetto.
