How Ben & Jerry converted a 5 dollar ice class into a billion dollar dollar empire (and enormous corporate head pain))

They were just two friends from Long Island. One was a failed potter, the other rejected a medical school. But with a correspondence course of 5 US dollars and a few thousand dollars, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield changed from creative ice cream in a petrol station in Vermont to a brand that was recognized worldwide – not only for their chunky, funky aromas, but for their innocent progressive politics.

Almost five decades after the start of Ben & Jerry's, the company is now at the center of one of the strangest company dramas in modern business. What started as a home-spunic experiment in socially conscious capitalism has become a billion dollar brand that is enclosed with his parent company in a bitter patient situation. The ice is still cute. But the relationship? Icy.

From the gym to the gas station

The story of Ben and Jerry began studying seventh grade in Merrick, New York. Fast friends from their teenage years, the two have connected again in the twenties, both lost a little. Cohen tried to sell ceramics. Greenfield tried – and failed – into the medical faculty. In 1977 they decided to do business together.

They looked at bagels, fondue and other trendy snacks, but ice cream won – it was cheaper. To prepare, they divided a 5 dollar course for Penn State correspondence on ice cream production, read mail-like textbooks and completion of open-book tests. This course, which was originally developed in 1892, still exists today.

In a price of $ 12,000 -4,000 US dollars, plus a bank loan and some help from Ben's father, they opened their first shovel shop in a dilapidated petrol station in Burlington in 1978.

Why the pieces?

Ben Cohen has Anosmie, a state that limits its sense of smell and taste. In order to make the ice cream experience more satisfactory for itself, he ran on texture. That is why Ben & Jerry's became famous for his exaggerated mix-in-brownie bits, cookie dough, nuts and vertebrae from caramel, fudge and marshmallow. The texture was not a gimmick. It was personal.

The early success of the brand was meteorical. In the mid -1980s, Pints ​​were available in grocery stores in the United States in 1984. The company went to the stock exchange. Ben & Jerry's value was worth until 1987 $ 30 million (Today about 68 million US dollars). They fought against company bullies, including a violent legal dispute with Häagen-Daz's parent Pillsbury. The more they struck, the more customers they loved.

But staying independent did not take.

Sold out without giving in

In 2000, Unilever Ben & Jerry's bought for 326 million US dollars. That's the same as around 600 million dollars In today's dollar.

It was a bitter sweet offer. The founders did not want to sell, but as a public company they had to entertain shareholder offers. In order to preserve the brand's mission, the deal contained an unusual clause: Ben & Jerry's would keep an independent board that is authorized to make decisions about his social activism and values.

This agreement would be both protection and a source for large conflicts.

Unilever helped take Ben & Jerry's globally. The brand now sells in 43 countries and creates an estimated $ 1 billion in annual sales. But the partnership was anything but smooth. Over the years, Unilever collided with the Independent Board over everything, from marketing campaigns to ingredients and political statements. The tension was overcooked in 2021 when Ben & Jerry announced that it would hire sales in Israeli-occupied areas, citing human rights concerns. The move triggered counter -reactions, boycotts and complaints. Unilever sold the Israeli business without a board permit. Ben & Jerry sued his own parent company.

Then there were more cracks: the consequence of CEO David Stever, pressure from investors on the policy of the brand and even internal struggles about whether the company could make an explanation that calls for a ceasefire from Gaza. On Wednesday, co-founder Ben Cohen was arrested for the US aid for Israel during a protest by the Senate. It was turned from the Capitol in handcuffs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efip53wv99g

The separation and the buyback attempt

In March 2024, Unilever announced that his entire ice division – including Magnum, Breyers, Klondike and Ben & Jerry – announced an independent business. Analysts estimate that the group is roughly incorporating 9 billion dollars Growth was sluggish every year. In 2023, sales only increased by 2.3%, which was the slowest departmental departments, with high prices led to a lower demand from consumers.

For Unilever, the cold supply chain, the seasonal sales patterns and ongoing political headaches made the ice business more problems than it was worth.

Ben Cohen saw an opportunity.

In 2025 he started a long effort to buy Ben & Jerry's back from Unilever. He is actively looking for like -minded investors and hopes to return the brand to independent property and at the same time maintain its activist mission. “If you love us, let us go“He said and asked Unilever to leave the brand free of company restrictions. Until now, Unilever said that Ben & Jerry's was not for sale as an independent unit.

Nevertheless, the independent board of directors of the brand remains legally protected under a spin -OFF. This firewall – collapsed into the acquisition of 2000 – can deal with the company's history.

A company with a soul

Ben & Jerry's is not just about ice cream. It's about values ​​- chaotic, impractical or controversial. This ethos has brought the company millions of loyal fans, even if others alienate it.

Cohen and Greenfield, now in the 70s, still live near the headquarters in Vermont and remain involved. They appear at franchisee events, talk to employees and give their votes for causes such as climate protection and reform of the criminal justice. They even protest together.

The company that you founded in a petrol station with a 5 dollar class now generates almost 1 billion US dollars a year and employs thousands. But his future – corporate or independent – is uncertain.