Jazwares

Quick Take

Jazwares has no federal lobbying on record and no profile on OpenSecrets, a nonprofit that tracks political money [5][6]. Its founders' small personal federal donations went to both parties [7][8]. After the October 2023 attack on Israel, it signed an Anti-Defamation League pledge against antisemitism, and its charitable arm gave to Israeli emergency medical groups [12]. Its owner, Berkshire Hathaway, said in 2024 that Buffett does not endorse political candidates [9]. Berkshire's wider political record is covered in RedRightBuyer's separate Berkshire Hathaway profile.

From Founders to Berkshire

Jazwares began as a family business and became part of Berkshire Hathaway in steps. Its first product was a drinking cup shaped like WWE wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin, with a straw coming out of his head. Judd Zebersky spent about 200 days a year in China over an eight-year period and bought injection molding machines to make the first model toys himself [4]. He and Laura Zebersky met at the University of Miami law school and both began legal careers; Laura, a litigator, sold her practice in 2005 and joined Jazwares as president [1]. The Zeberskys sold a stake to Alleghany in 2014, and Alleghany took a controlling interest in 2016 [1][2]. Berkshire Hathaway bought Alleghany for $11.5 billion in October 2022, which brought Jazwares into Berkshire [1]. At Berkshire's 2023 shareholder weekend, shareholders bought about 10,000 Squishmallows made to look like Buffett and his longtime partner Charlie Munger, and some soon sold for more than $500 on eBay [1]. The Zeberskys had met Buffett once before, at a 2017 charity dinner in Florida to encourage investment in Israel bonds [1].

In January 2026, Jazwares announced that Judd Zebersky, its founder and CEO, and Laura Zebersky, its president, would step down on March 20, 2026 [3]. Chief Operating Officer David Neustein, described as a key leader at the company for the past 15 years, was named the new CEO [3].

A Small Political Footprint

Jazwares has stayed out of Washington's formal channels. U.S. Senate lobbying records list no filings with Jazwares, Squishmallows or Kellytoy as the client, though those searches do not cover every related company [5]. OpenSecrets has no organization profile for Jazwares [6]. This review did not confirm whether Jazwares has ever registered a political action committee (PAC, a fund that gives to candidates) with the Federal Election Commission.

The founders' federal donations have been small and split between the parties. OpenSecrets donor records show Judd Zebersky, listing Jazwares as his employer or CEO as his job, gave to Republican Sens. Cory Gardner in 2019 and John Cornyn in 2020, and to Democrats Cory Booker in 2020 and Dan Goldman in 2022, in amounts from $1,450 to $2,800 [7]. Laura Zebersky's listed federal gifts are older, including $250 in 2010 to Nan Hayworth, a Republican House candidate [8]. These are personal donations, not company money, and the Zeberskys no longer run the company.

The Berkshire Connection

Because Berkshire controls Jazwares, Berkshire's stance matters here too. In October 2024, after fake social media posts claimed Buffett had backed political candidates, Berkshire put out a statement saying he "does not currently and will not prospectively endorse investment products . . . or endorse and support political candidates" [9].

Berkshire owns many other businesses, and each has its own political record. That record, including the political giving and lobbying of Berkshire's other companies and Buffett's own politics, is covered in the separate Berkshire Hathaway profile.

After the October 7 Attack

In the weeks after Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, Jazwares signed the Anti-Defamation League's Workplace Pledge to Fight Antisemitism, according to The Toy Book [12]. Its charitable arm, Jazwares Cares, donated to Magen David Adom, Israel's emergency medical and blood service, and supported United Hatzalah of Israel, a volunteer emergency medical group, and Reichman University, whose students take part in a Jazwares internship program [12]. Judd and Laura Zebersky personally pledged support to Brothers for Life, a group that helps wounded Israeli soldiers [12]. The Toy Book reported that half of the most recent group of Reichman interns had been called up to fight with the Israel Defense Forces [12]. These steps came under the founders, before the March 2026 change in leadership.

Protecting Squishmallows in Court

Jazwares has gone to court to defend its plush toys and has been sued over them. In 2024 it sued Build-A-Bear Workshop in Los Angeles federal court, arguing that Build-A-Bear's Skoosherz copied the look and feel of Squishmallows; Build-A-Bear argued that Jazwares had no trademark rights in the design [10]. In August 2025 the two companies asked the court to dismiss the case with prejudice, meaning it cannot be refiled; no settlement terms were reported [10].

In a separate case, Kidrobot, maker of HUGME plush toys, sued in 2023, saying the HugMees that Jazwares' Kelly Toys has sold since 2019 infringe its HUGME trademark [11]. On May 27, 2026, U.S. District Judge Susan Wigenton in Newark, New Jersey, let the case go forward, calling it "rife with contested facts" and rejecting Jazwares' argument that HUGME is a generic term [11].

Where to Find Them

Jazwares sells its toys under brand names such as Squishmallows. Its corporate website is jazwares.com.

Footnotes

[1] Reuters (via Dunya News), "How TikTok sensation Squishmallows found Warren Buffett," May 13, 2023. https://dunyanews.tv/en/Business/723349-How-TikTok-sensation-Squishmallows-found-Warren-Buffett

[2] Alleghany Corporation, Form 10-K for fiscal year 2021, accessed November 1, 2026. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/775368/000095017022001798/y-20211231.htm

[3] Gary Symons, The Licensing Letter, "Founders Judd and Laura Zebersky Step Down As Leadership of Jazwares," January 8, 2026. https://thelicensingletter.com/founders-judd-and-laura-zebersky-step-down-as-leadership-of-jazwares/

[4] Jazwares, "One of the World's Largest Toy Companies Grows Footprint in Broward County," June 30, 2023. https://www.jazwares.com/newsroom/one-of-the-worlds-largest-toy-companies-grows-footprint-in-broward-county

[5] U.S. Senate Office of Public Records, Lobbying Disclosure Act filings search by client name ("jazwares," "squishmallow," "kellytoy"), accessed November 1, 2026. https://lda.gov/api/v1/filings/?client_name=jazwares ; https://lda.gov/api/v1/filings/?client_name=squishmallow ; https://lda.gov/api/v1/filings/?client_name=kellytoy

[6] OpenSecrets, organization search for "jazwares," accessed November 1, 2026. https://www.opensecrets.org/search?q=jazwares&type=orgs

[7] OpenSecrets, donor lookup for "Judd Zebersky," accessed November 1, 2026. https://www.opensecrets.org/donor-lookup/results?name=judd+zebersky

[8] OpenSecrets, donor lookup for "Laura Zebersky," accessed November 1, 2026. https://www.opensecrets.org/donor-lookup/results?name=laura+zebersky

[9] Sydney Lake, Fortune, "Warren Buffett is so over AI deepfakes he forced Berkshire Hathaway to release a statement saying he would never endorse a presidential candidate: 'It just ain't me'," October 23, 2024. https://www.fortune.com/2024/10/23/warren-buffett-ai-deepfake-berkshire-hathaway-statement-presidential-candidates

[10] Blake Brittain, Insurance Journal (Reuters), "Squishmallows Maker, Build-A-Bear Call Truce in Plush Toy Legal Battle," August 26, 2025. https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2025/08/26/836916.htm

[11] Jonathan Stempel, Reuters (via WHTC), "Berkshire-owned Jazwares must face trademark lawsuit over Squishmallows 'Hug Mees'," May 27, 2026. https://whtc.com/2026/05/27/berkshire-owned-jazwares-must-face-trademark-lawsuit-over-squishmallows-hug-mees/

[12] James Zahn, The Toy Book, "Toy Industry Rallies in Support of Israel," October 17, 2023. https://toybook.com/israel/

[13] Jazwares, "Jazwares Is Building Something New With BLDR a New Ingenuitive Toy Construction Brand," Business Wire, January 28, 2025. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250128675837/en