Which ice-cream company did Unilever acquire in 2000 for approximately $326 million?

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Unilever acquired Ben & Jerry's in 2000 for approximately $326 million.

The agreement was announced in April 2000 and completed later that year. Ben & Jerry's became a wholly owned subsidiary of Unilever but retained an independent board and a social mission charter designed to preserve the company's activism and social-purpose identity.

Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield founded the company in 1978 in Burlington, Vermont, after taking a correspondence course in ice-cream making. The business became known for chunky flavors, distinctive names, and campaigns involving social and environmental issues.

The acquisition followed a period when Ben & Jerry's faced competitive pressure and considered strategic alternatives. It is often confused with Unilever's acquisition of Slim Fast in 2000, a separate deal involving a diet-food brand rather than an ice-cream maker.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Sept. 2026

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