Unilever loved us for who we were back then, in the year 2000. Now we have gone our separate ways in our relationship. We just have to get them to release us, says the now 74-year-old Ben Cohen to the newspaper The Wall Street Journal.
In the interview, he is now seeking investors who can help him buy out Ben & Jerry's from Unilever.
Unilever bought Ben & Jerry's from founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield 25 years ago. The purchase agreement included a settlement that Ben & Jerry's would have an independent board with responsibility for the company's social activities and marketing.
The relationship between the independent board and owner Unilever has deteriorated since 2021, when Ben & Jerry's stopped selling in Jewish settlements on the West Bank. The sale there conflicted with the company's values, according to Ben & Jerry's.
When Unilever circumvented this decision by selling the Israeli operations to a distribution company in Israel, Ben & Jerry's sued its owner for breach of contract.
Ben & Jerry's and owner Unilever have also clashed this year over a critical statement about the Trump administration's policy, which Unilever stopped in January. Unilever has since fired Ben & Jerry's CEO David Stever.
