Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield have held some initial discussions in recent months about a potential deal, according to people familiar with the matter.

The founders of Ben & Jerry’s are reportedly exploring buying the brand back from Unilever following years of conflict with the consumer giant over its stance on Israel. Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, who founded the ice cream maker in Vermont in 1978, have discussed a potential deal that could be worth billions of dollars, Bloomberg reported.

The co-founders of popular ice cream brand, Ben & Jerry's, are mulling repurchasing their company from Unilever. The move comes amid allegations that the parent corporation is meddling with their progressive political stance. Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, now aged 73, sold their namesake ice cream business to Unilever for $326 million in 2000.

Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield are reportedly looking to reacquire the beloved ice cream brand, claiming its corporate owner has muzzled the company’s social activism.