Ben & Jerry's founders negotiate with KKR to reclaim brand ownership

Ben & Jerry's co-founders have entered negotiations with Pete Stavros, a senior private-equity executive at KKR, to explore a transaction that would restore their control of the ice-cream label. The proposal envisions carving the business out of its present ownership and establishing an employee stock-ownership plan that could provide tax benefits to the workforce. Currently, the brand is owned by The Magnum Ice Cream Company, a unit that was separated from Unilever in 2025.

The talks arise after prolonged disputes with Unilever concerning Ben & Jerry's outspoken political positions, notably its 2021 decision to stop sales in Israeli settlements and later tensions during the Gaza conflict. While the deal’s specifics remain under discussion, neither KKR, Magnum nor the founders have responded to requests for comment. The outcome could reshape the brand’s governance and its capacity for activism.