Ben Cohen urges passion over pay in AI

Ben Cohen’s – Ben Cohen, cofounder of Ben & Jerry’s, told young people at SXSW London that AI and affordability fears shouldn’t push them away from work they truly love. He also argued that extreme wealth accumulation is hard to justify and said he wants the brand’s social

When Ben Cohen walked onto the sidelines of SXSW London earlier this June, the future already felt loud—part career worry, part AI anxiety. He answered it with a joke first, then a message he clearly thinks is worth repeating.

“ I was going to say, learn how to be an Uber driver, but Waymo is taking over that shit,” Cohen quipped, speaking to Business Insider.

Then he pivoted to the serious part. Cohen said people should pursue a career “because you love the work. not in order to make money.” For aspiring entrepreneurs. he advised. “find a small niche in the market. a void. and fill it.” Employees. he added. should “find a company whose values you resonate with because then your work is meaningful. it’s not just getting a paycheck.”.

He tied it all back to a feeling he calls hard to replace: “The deep feeling of purpose and fulfillment that comes from doing what you love.”

That belief showed up again in the way he framed money. Cohen said. “You’re doing exactly what you want to do. following your passion — that’s worth a lot of money.” He also described how his own life didn’t begin with an easy paycheck. “I was a starving artist,” Cohen said. “The only reason I became an ice cream man is because nobody would buy my pottery that I was making.”.

Cohen’s view of wealth is just as personal. He said he’s learned that when it comes to money, “you don’t need that much of it” to be happy. He called amassing billions “kind of crazy,” saying it only makes sense as “playing football” and seeking to “rack up as many points” as possible.

In his telling, the real problem isn’t just who gets rich—it’s the system that does it. Cohen pointed to “the massive wealth gap between the rich and poor,” and said owning that much money isn’t justifiable. He also criticized “an economic system that pushes so much money up to the tippy top.”

He said Ben & Jerry’s and its high-profile, mission-driven identity weren’t built for that end. “He and his cofounder, Jerry Greenfield, didn’t start their ice cream company to become fantastically wealthy,” Cohen said. “We were looking to make a living,” he added. “We weren’t looking to make a killing.”.

That mission, he said, is where big business can still matter. Cohen described business as the “most powerful force in society,” and argued that a scaled-up, high-profile company with a social mission “has the potential to do a lot of really good stuff.”

Ben & Jerry’s has long set itself apart by allocating a portion of its profits to support refugees, LGBTQ+ rights, climate justice, and other progressive causes.

But Cohen’s comments carried an edge of frustration about what happens after ownership changes. Ben & Jerry’s was sold to Unilever in 2000. and then spun off as part of The Magnum Ice Cream Company last year. Cohen said he has been calling for Magnum to sell Ben & Jerry’s in recent months because he believes it’s not living up to the brand’s social values. Magnum did not respond to a request for comment.

Cohen also made clear what he does—and does not—want from the next phase. When asked whether he would buy back Ben & Jerry’s if someone handed him the required funds. he said his goal isn’t to own the business. He wants to “preserve the social mission” and have it “owned by investors that agree with it.”.

“But if somebody gave me a couple of billion, sure, yeah, why not?” Cohen said. He added that he would want to “spread the wealth” by bringing in more owners at an attractive valuation.

The through-line—from Uber-driving jokes to ice cream origin stories to the debate over corporate ownership—was consistent: for Cohen, the point isn’t just what people earn or what companies can accumulate. It’s whether work, and the money behind it, serve something more meaningful.

Ben Cohen Ben & Jerry's SXSW London AI career advice Waymo Uber driver Unilever Magnum social mission wealth gap refugees LGBTQ+ rights climate justice