Ben Cohen, the co-founder of Ben & Jerry's, has accused the ice cream brand's new owner, Magnum Ice Cream Company, of being in the "process of destroying" the future of the Cherry Garcia maker by preventing it from criticizing U.S. President Donald Trump. Cohen, who founded the brand in 1978 with Jerry Greenfield, is locked in a months-long fight with Magnum over Ben & Jerry's right to speak out on social issues.
Conflict Over Social Activism
Cohen stated in an interview with Bloomberg's Zero podcast that "Trumpism is essentially the biggest attack on the values of Ben & Jerry's since the company was founded and Magnum has said you cannot criticize Trump." He added, "Put simply, the very values-led business structure that's made Ben & Jerry's into the brand it is today is precisely the thing that Magnum is in the process of destroying." Muzzling a brand known for its progressive stance on social justice issues is hypocritical and will damage the brand irrevocably, according to Cohen.
Magnum's Response
Magnum, however, claims that Ben & Jerry's continues to be a "bold voice for social justice" under its ownership. A Magnum spokesperson said in an emailed statement that the brand has recently "spoken out on ICE, on the conflict in Iran, on freedom of speech, on migrant and refugee justice, in defense of democratic processes, and in support of No Kings Day in the U.S."
History of Governance
Ben & Jerry's, which has a long history of political activism, was bought by consumer goods giant Unilever in 2000. At the time, the two parties established an unusual governance arrangement where an independent board would safeguard Ben & Jerry's social mission while the parent company oversaw its products and financial direction. For many years, the arrangement worked well, and Ben & Jerry's expanded from four to more than 40 countries, with revenue rising more than fivefold. In 2024, Ben & Jerry's contributed €1.1 billion (US$1.3 billion) to Unilever's ice cream unit's total €8.3 billion revenue.
Legal Disputes
The partnership soured when the independent board of Ben & Jerry's filed a lawsuit in the U.S., alleging that the parent company was preventing it from speaking out on the conflict in Gaza. In January, six of the nine independent board members had to resign or stepped down after retroactive nine-year term limits were introduced. Cohen said a campaign to "free" Ben & Jerry's from Magnum's ownership has attracted petitions and letters in support from more than 130,000 people. However, Greenfield resigned in protest from Ben & Jerry's in September, after almost 50 years, claiming it had lost its independence.
Cohen's Perspective
Cohen described Greenfield as "everything you'd want in a friend. But by his own admission, he's extremely conflict averse." Cohen added, "I don't particularly like conflict myself, but I can take it. And this is a conflict situation — it's a kind of battle."
