Judd Zebersky’s departure from Jazwares in March 2026 closed a chapter that began in 1997 when he left his law practice and flew to China to learn how to manufacture toys. He had no manufacturing experience. He had a law degree from the University of Miami School of Law, a background in litigation, and a conviction that making consumer products was what he wanted to do.
What he built over the next three decades now employs approximately 1,400 people and ships products to more than 100 countries. The company’s most widely recognized product, Squishmallows, became a cultural phenomenon after the 2020 acquisition of Kellytoy brought the brand into the Jazwares portfolio. The ultrasoft plush toys found their largest audience on TikTok, selling more than 100 million units in a single year and attracting celebrity fans including Lady Gaga and Kim Kardashian.
A Transition Built Over Decades
Judd Zebersky did not build Jazwares quickly. The company spent years developing manufacturing knowledge, securing licensing deals with properties including Minecraft, Sonic the Hedgehog, Fortnite, and Pokémon, and expanding its reach through acquisitions including Wicked Cool Toys in 2019. Alleghany Capital Corporation took an initial stake in 2014 and majority ownership in 2016, a structure that preserved Judd Zebersky‘s operational control. Berkshire Hathaway inherited that ownership relationship through its acquisition of Alleghany in late 2022.
Zebersky received the South Florida Business Journal’s Ultimate CEOs recognition in 2024 and appeared on The Business Report’s Top 50 Entrepreneurs list in 2023. Jazwares earned placements on TIME’s Most Influential Companies list and was recognized by both Fast Company and Fortune for its workplace culture.
The philanthropic work ran parallel to all of it. Zebersky established Jazwares Cares at the company’s founding, donating millions of toys to children’s hospitals, Title I schools, and nonprofits such as Make-A-Wish and Toys for Tots. He and his family contributed $2 million to Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital. David Neustein, Zebersky’s longtime COO, assumed the CEO role on March 23, 2026. Refer to this article for related information.
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