Nearly five decades after launching his ice cream venture, Jerry Greenfield is severing ties with Ben & Jerry's while parent corporation Unilever advances toward spinning off its frozen confection division as a standalone entity, the Wall Street Journal disclosed.
Greenfield utilized Instagram and X platforms, posting through business partner Ben Cohen's profiles, to reveal his resignation resulted from the brand's inability to champion social justice initiatives central to its founding mission, the Wall Street Journal reported.
"It's profoundly disappointing to come to the conclusion that independence, the very basis of our sale to Unilever, is gone," Greenfield declared in his online statements, as documented by the Wall Street Journal.
Unilever's frozen dessert unit, the Magnum Ice Cream Company, expressed gratitude for Greenfield's pioneering work and emphasized dedication to upholding product excellence alongside economic and social commitments.
"We disagree with his perspective and have sought to engage both co-founders in a constructive conversation on how to strengthen Ben & Jerry's powerful values-based position in the world," company officials told the Wall Street Journal.
When Unilever acquired Ben & Jerry's in 2000, their arrangement specifically preserved the Vermont company's control over political messaging and marketing decisions, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Friction has intensified surrounding several matters, from former Chief Executive David Stever's exit to conflicts regarding political positions – especially those related to Middle Eastern affairs.
"Ben & Jerry's has been silenced, sidelined for fear of upsetting those in power," Greenfield stated in his departure message, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Unilever continues to organize TMICC, which encompasses Ben & Jerry's, for an Amsterdam listing with secondary markets in London and New York in November.
Cohen pursues brand liberation and protested at TMICC's September 9 investor briefing, having explored assembling aligned buyers for the repurchase of Ben & Jerry's, though TMICC leader Peter ter Kulve confirmed that the division remains unavailable for purchase.
Cohen and Greenfield launched their Burlington, Vermont, operation from a repurposed gas station in 1978, creating texture-heavy products suited to Cohen's smell-impaired palate, as detailed by the Wall Street Journal.
Social consciousness became integral alongside product innovation, achieving nationwide prominence during the 1990s through combining progressive advocacy with inventive flavors.
Post-acquisition, both creators remained involved without managerial roles, attending franchise events and employee sessions in an ambassadorial capacity, with spokespeople verifying Cohen's unchanged status following Greenfield's exit, the Wall Street Journal reported.
