The rolling billboards with muscle-bound cows were the first clue, circling the Expo West convention center in Anaheim in early March.  Then came the social media posts: “break the ice,” “something sweet is coming.” David Protein’s ice cream launch seemed to be the worst-kept secret in the world of consumer products.  

But instead of ice cream, Peter Rahal, David’s co-founder and CEO, swerved to a surprise launch in May: tinned cod, complete with a Times Square billboard and a Steve Jobs-style video that played the launch as if it were the iPhone of canned fish.  

“We kind of slow-played the launch and threw some decoys in there,” says Rahal, 40, when we chat on June 1, the day the New York-based protein provocateur finally launched its long-awaited ice cream. “We’ve been working on this for a long time,” he says, “so it’s great to finally see it come to life.” 

I caught up with Rahal just as the pints appeared on David’s website—and sold out in 28 minutes. (One pint retails for $15, and the website offered six pints for $90.) Although the company did not specify how much product was produced for the initial run, when I ask, the answer is “a lot.” As Rahal says, “I’m feeling good.” 

He should. With the new frozen dessert, David has officially moved from being a protein bar company to having multiple products across the grocery store. It also, Rahal hopes, puts the past year of seemingly endless controversy behind him, one that featured two high-profile lawsuits, a tangential connection to the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, and unceasing online drama.  

David is on track to bring in $300 million in revenue in 2026, and its bars are in about 16,000 stores, including Target, Walmart, Wegmans, Vitamin Shoppe, Kroger, and Publix. Meanwhile, Rahal tells me that David’s parent company, Medici, which he also leads, is busy preparing to launch new brands. 

Over the course of multiple conversations this spring, Rahal opened up about what he’s building, the design behind all the drama, and what’s next for the most-watched CPG founders today.  

In this article, you’ll learn: 

• The secrets of David’s savvy branding—and how it uses humor to get its messaging across 
• How Rahal navigates the scrutiny that comes with launching one of the fastest-growing CPG brands ever, from lawsuits to bad press 
• Why he’s reorganizing David’s parent company, Medici—and what it means for future product releases 
• The major retailer that will roll out David’s ice cream nationally 

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