Ben & Jerry's cites investor Peltz's growing influence over parent company Unilever

Jessica DiNapoli

Fri, May 2, 2025, 4:03 PM 2 min read

By Jessica DiNapoli

NEW YORK (Reuters) -Ice pick shaper Ben & Jerry's said precocious connected Friday that billionaire activistic capitalist Nelson Peltz, who is connected its genitor institution Unilever's board, has accrued his power implicit the user goods conglomerate, including connected governmental issues.

Unilever and the portion person been locked successful a bitter ineligible quality since past twelvemonth implicit allegations that the genitor is muzzling it, hurting its quality to transportation retired its societal mission. The Vermont-based frozen dessert shaper made the caller claims successful effect to Unilever's attempts past week to person the lawsuit thrown out.

In a tribunal filing, Ben & Jerry's said Unilever's edits to its societal media posts, a cardinal contented successful its suit against the London-based company, "mirror the governmental views of Mr. Peltz," who backed U.S. President Donald Trump successful his predetermination run past year. His expanding power could awesome broader alteration astatine Unilever, a firm person successful environmental, societal and governance policies (ESG) that Trump opposes.

The shaper of Cherry Garcia and different flavors was founded by counterculture members Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, though the 2 are nary longer progressive successful day-to-day operations. The institution has claimed that Unilever has censored it connected topics ranging from Trump's migration policies to the warfare successful Gaza.

Ben & Jerry's said successful the filing that Unilever threatened to destruct its autarkic committee and writer its members individually if it did not retreat its connection that the British foundation Medical Aid for Palestinians person donations from the firm parent.

Unilever said the foundation was unapologetically anti-Israel and that a donation to it could endanger Unilever and Ben & Jerry's with imaginable sanctions, according to the filing.

The filing states that Unilever relented connected its presumption aft its appraisal of Medical Aid for Palestinians was discredited done assorted actions, including the caput of the charity, Baroness Patricia Morris, saying its presumption was "unreasonable and unconscionable."

Ben & Jerry's besides said Unilever tasked 1 of its executives with persuading the company's founders to instrumentality its broadside successful the dispute.

Unilever, Ben & Jerry's, Peltz and Medical Aid for Palestinians did not instantly instrumentality a petition for comment.

Unilever has been saying its brands specified arsenic Ben & Jerry's are connected a planetary ngo to bash good.

Unilever's crystal pick business, including Ben & Jerry's, is acceptable to run connected a standalone ground starting July 1.