Brandtree

Who owns Ben & Jerry's?

Ben & Jerry's is owned by The Magnum Ice Cream Company (the Netherlands, AEX: MAGNUM), which was separated from Unilever on 8 December 2025.[1][2][3] Before The Magnum Ice Cream Company, Ben & Jerry's was owned by Unilever from 2000 to 2025.[5][6]

Key facts

Current owner
The Magnum Ice Cream Company N.V. verified
Owned since
· deal details
Previous owner
Unilever (2000–2025)
Owner HQ
🇳🇱 Netherlands, Amsterdam
Origin
🇺🇸 United States, Burlington, Vermont
Founded
1978 by Ben Cohen, Jerry Greenfield
Category
Food › Frozen food › Ice cream
Parent ticker
AEX: MAGNUM LSE: MAGN NYSE: MICC
Last verified
· 6 sources

About Ben & Jerry's

Ben & Jerry's was founded in a converted Burlington, Vermont petrol station in 1978 by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield. Unilever acquired it in 2000 under a merger agreement that preserved an independent board with a social mission mandate. The brand moved to The Magnum Ice Cream Company in the December 2025 ice cream demerger.

Ownership timeline of Ben & Jerry's

Owners of Ben & Jerry's from 1978 to 2026 Ben & Jerry's Homemade 1978–2000; Unilever 2000–2025; The Magnum Ice Cream Company 2025–present Ben & Jerry's Homemade Unilever 19801990200020102020
  1. 1978 – 2000 Ben & Jerry's Homemade — sold 3 August 2000 [4] verified Independent, NASDAQ-listed from 1984 until the Conopco merger.
  2. 2000 – 2025 Unilever — acquired 3 August 2000 [5][6] verified Held through Conopco, Inc. Transferred to The Magnum Ice Cream Company in the December 2025 ice cream demerger.
  3. 2025 – present The Magnum Ice Cream Company — separated 8 December 2025 [1][2][3] verified

Where Ben & Jerry's sits in The Magnum Ice Cream Company

Controlling ownership as of . Brands grouped under the entity that owns them; large groups are collapsed.

Where Ben & Jerry's sits in The Magnum Ice Cream Company Tree of 14 brands under The Magnum Ice Cream Company. The Magnum Ice Cream Company Ben & Jerry's Breyers Calippo Carte d'Or Cornetto Klondike and 8 more

Open the full The Magnum Ice Cream Company ownership tree →

Other brands owned by The Magnum Ice Cream Company in food

See the full The Magnum Ice Cream Company brand portfolio (14) →

Deals involving Ben & Jerry's

Spin-off closed

Ben & Jerry's, Magnum, Wall's, Cornetto, Breyers, Talenti, Yasso, Popsicle, Klondike, Twister, Carte d'Or, Viennetta, Solero and Calippo separated from Unilever

Unilever separated its ice cream business as The Magnum Ice Cream Company, whose shares were admitted to trading on Euronext Amsterdam, the London Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange on 8 December 2025. Unilever shareholders received shares in the new company as a demerger dividend, and Unilever retained a 19.9% stake at admission.

Value
—
Seller
Unilever
Regulatory
None recorded
Acquisition closed

Unilever acquires Ben & Jerry's

Unilever's subsidiary Conopco acquired Ben & Jerry's Homemade in a two-step transaction: a cash tender offer at $43.60 per share through Vermont All Natural Expansion Company, followed by a back-end merger. The merger agreement created an independent board with a continuing social mission mandate.

Value
—
Regulatory
None recorded

Latest news about Ben & Jerry's

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Frequently asked questions

Who is the parent company of Ben & Jerry's?

The parent company of Ben & Jerry's is The Magnum Ice Cream Company, a publicly listed company headquartered in the Netherlands.

Is Ben & Jerry's owned by Unilever?

No. Ben & Jerry's is owned by The Magnum Ice Cream Company, not Unilever. Unilever owned Ben & Jerry's from 2000 until 2025.

Is Ben & Jerry's owned by Nestlé?

No. Ben & Jerry's is owned by The Magnum Ice Cream Company, not Nestlé.

Is Ben & Jerry's American or Dutch?

Ben & Jerry's originated in the United States in 1978, but it is owned today by The Magnum Ice Cream Company, which is headquartered in the Netherlands. So Ben & Jerry's is an American-origin brand under Dutch ownership.

Since when has The Magnum Ice Cream Company owned Ben & Jerry's?

The Magnum Ice Cream Company has owned Ben & Jerry's since 8 December 2025.

Who owned Ben & Jerry's before The Magnum Ice Cream Company?

Before The Magnum Ice Cream Company, Ben & Jerry's was owned by Unilever from 2000 until 2025.

Sources (6) & corrections

Last verified . Every ownership fact above is backed by one of these primary documents. Numbers in brackets in the text refer to this list.

  1. [1] The Magnum Ice Cream Company N.V. Annual Report on Form 20-F filed 2026-03-18 — SEC EDGAR, SEC Form 20-F, published 18 March 2026; retrieved 6 September 2026.
  2. [2] The Magnum Ice Cream Company N.V. Annual Report on Form 20-F for 2025 — SEC EDGAR, SEC Form 20-F, published 18 March 2026; retrieved 6 September 2026.
  3. [3] Unilever PLC Annual Report on Form 20-F for 2025 — SEC EDGAR, SEC Form 20-F, published 12 March 2026; retrieved 6 September 2026.
  4. [4] Ben & Jerry's Homemade, Inc. definitive merger proxy statement (DEFM14A) — SEC EDGAR, SEC proxy statement, published 6 July 2000; retrieved 6 September 2026.
  5. [5] Ben & Jerry's Homemade, Inc. Form 8-K — Item 1, Changes in Control of Registrant — SEC EDGAR, SEC Form 8-K, published 22 May 2000; retrieved 6 September 2026.
  6. [6] Ben & Jerry's Homemade, Inc. Form 15-12G — deregistration following the merger — SEC EDGAR, SEC filing, published 3 August 2000; retrieved 6 September 2026.

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