Unilever said Thursday that the conglomerate is not intended to sell Ben & Jerry, despite the founders of the popular ice cream brand bid to buy back the company.
Starting July 1st, Unilever’s ice cream brand will be spin-off and renamed Magnum Ice Cream Company, which nods to other popular companies in its division. The spinoff is listed as a separate company in the Netherlands.
“Ice cream separation and listing are options that consider maximizing shareholder value. According to Bloomberg.
Ben & Jerry’s did not immediately respond to requests to post comments.
Ben & Jerry have fought years with London-based owners over freedom to publicly support free causes, including protesting President Trump and the war in Gaza and seeking police department refunds.
In 2022, the ice cream brand sued Unilever for selling Ben & Jerry’s business in Israel to partners who continued to sell sweet treats under slightly different brands.
That same year, the company called on Unilever to respect Ben & Jerry’s Independent Committee.
Earlier this week, news broke that Unilever allegedly threatened to withdraw funding from the Ben & Jerry Foundation, a nonprofit that advocates prison reform and undocumented youth.
Unilever has requested the foundation to submit it for a prompt audit to receive approximately $5 million in funds each year, sources told Reuters.
“We’re not pose a threat,” Fernandez said, saying that audits are a valid form of governance and the company wants to know where the money is heading.
“It is our responsibility to ensure that these funds are used properly,” he said. “It must be assigned to a region or institution that absolutely line up with what is part of the acquisition agreement.”
In March, Ben & Jerry’s claims claimed Unilever fired CEO David Stever. David Stever started as a tour guide at his factory in Waterbury, Virginia.
Brand alleged that the termination violated a 2000 merger agreement with Unilever.
Unilever responded that he has the authority to appoint a new CEO and would only make such a decision after speaking to the board.
Childhood friends Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, from Long Island, New York, founded the company in 1978. They sold the company to Unilever in 2000 for $326 million.
