Jazwares has an unusual ownership history for a toy company. It traces back to a founder who left a law practice to learn manufacturing in rural China, then attracted capital from Alleghany Capital Corporation, which was later absorbed into Berkshire Hathaway. Through it all, Judd Zebersky retained day-to-day control until stepping down in March 2026.

Alleghany Capital Corporation initially took a stake in Jazwares in 2014. Two years later, the firm acquired majority ownership while preserving Zebersky’s authority over operations. In the fourth quarter of 2022, Berkshire Hathaway completed its acquisition of Alleghany, making Jazwares part of one of the most prominent investment portfolios in the world.

Three Decades of Operational Continuity

What made the ownership transitions relatively smooth was the operational stability Judd Zebersky built at Jazwares from the beginning. His early years in the business were defined by time spent in Chinese toy factories, where he studied injection molding, blow molding, and rotocasting firsthand. That technical knowledge gave him credibility inside the company and with manufacturing partners that financial investors rarely have.

Jazwares built market position through licensing agreements with entertainment properties including Minecraft, Sonic the Hedgehog, Fortnite, and Pokémon, then expanded through acquisitions. The 2020 purchase of Kellytoy brought Squishmallows into the portfolio, a brand that sold over 100 million units in a single year and attracted celebrity fans including Lady Gaga and Kim Kardashian. The plush toys, priced between $5 and $30, became a defining product of the social media era.

By the time Judd Zebersky handed the CEO role to longtime COO David Neustein in March 2026, Jazwares employed approximately 1,400 people across a global operation spanning more than 100 countries. The company had earned recognition from TIME, Fast Company, and Fortune, and Jazwares Cares had donated millions of toys to hospitals and nonprofits over nearly three decades. See related link for additional information.

Visit his page on https://news.miami.edu/law/stories/2024/10/judd-and-laura-zebersky-toymakers-extraordinaire.html, to learn more.