Legal dispute arises after new owner Magnum removes independent board members, violating 2000 sale agreement terms.
Ben & Jerry’s co-founders are suing Magnum after the company removed most of the brand’s independent board members, breaching a $326 million sale agreement from 2000. The deal required an independent board to protect the brand’s social mission, a condition that held for over two decades until this year.
The original 2000 sale to Unilever included a clause ensuring Ben & Jerry’s retained an independent board. Magnum, spun out of Unilever, retained only one independent director by January 1, prompting legal action. The Ben & Jerry’s Foundation has since joined the lawsuit after funding was halted.
Co-founder Ben Cohen has escalated pressure, demanding Magnum sell the brand to a values-aligned group or face a boycott of its products, including Breyers and Klondike.