PURPOSE: To easily produce a benzyl ester useful as an intermediate for organic synthesis in high efficiency and short reaction step with a safe apparatus without using a particular raw material by carrying out cleavage decomposition of a bisphenol in the presence of an acid catalyst and an organic carboxylic acid.

CONSTITUTION: This benzyl ester is produced by the cleavage decomposition of (A) a bisphenol such as bisphenol A in the presence of (B) an acid catalyst such as an acidic ion-exchange resin consisting of a styrene-divinylbenzene copolymer having sulfonic acid group on the aromatic ring and (C) a 2-5C organic carboxylic acid such as acetic acid. The amount of the component C is preferably 5-30mol based on 1mol of the component A and the cleavage decomposition reaction is carried out at ≥60°C but below the boiling point of the component C.