On March 20, 2026, Judd Zebersky formally stepped down as CEO of Jazwares, the toy company he founded after walking away from a legal career. The departure closed a chapter spanning nearly three decades, during which Jazwares grew from a startup with no manufacturing history into a company with 1,400 employees and distribution across more than 100 countries.
The Decision That Changed Everything
Zebersky earned a JD from the University of Miami School of Law and launched his own law firm before concluding that consumer products were where he wanted to build something. He told his wife he wanted to make toys. She told him to follow his dreams. In 1997, he traveled to China and spent months inside factories, learning injection molding, rotocasting, blow molding, hair rooting, and the engineering behind product development. It was an unconventional education for a future CEO, but it gave him a credibility that shaped how Jazwares operated for years. “I went to remote places in China on dirt roads,” he recalled, describing conditions most executives never encounter firsthand.
Jazwares built its reputation first through licensed products tied to major entertainment brands, including Minecraft, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Fortnite. The company then expanded through acquisition: Wicked Cool Toys in 2019 added Pokémon, and Kellytoy in 2020 brought Squishmallows. The plush toy line became a viral sensation across TikTok, with more than 100 million units sold in a single year and celebrity fans including Lady Gaga and Kim Kardashian.
Transition and Recognition
Alleghany Capital Corporation took an initial stake in Jazwares in 2014 and a majority position in 2016, with founder control preserved throughout. Berkshire Hathaway inherited Jazwares via its 2022 acquisition of Alleghany. Judd 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 itself earned honors from TIME, Fast Company, and Fortune during his tenure. COO David Neustein, who served the company for 14 years, assumed the CEO role on March 23, 2026. Check out this page for related information.
Find more information about Judd Zebersky on https://toybook.com/jazwares-leadership-transition/