LesserEvil

LesserEvil was founded in 2004 by Michael A. Sands, Gene Hackman, and Jim Cramer in Tuckahoe, New York.

Their initial product offering was a kettlecorn and expanded into multiple varieties. In 2006, they introduced a second line, Krinkle Sticks, and later lines of extruded curls and puffs intended to compete in the cheese puff category.

In 2011, Charles Coristine, a former bond trader, acquired LesserEvil and opened its Danbury factory the following year. By 2013, the company's headquarters remained in Wilton, Connecticut, but operations moved to Commerce Park in Danbury. The factory is certified organic.

LesserEvil underwent a rebrand in 2019, which emphasized "mindful" snacking, reiterated by the guru mascots featured on the packaging.

In April 2022, the company acquired energy bar maker R.E.D.D. Bar. The following year, LesserEvil sold a “significant minority” stake of the business to Aria Growth Partners, with the intention to further develop manufacturing and retail distribution.

According to the Hartford Business Journal, the company was expected to have close to $100M in revenues in 2023 and was one of the largest producers of organic snacks in the US.

In April 2025, Hershey signed an agreement to acquire LesserEvil. This transaction was completed in November.

Controversies and litigation

False advertising lawsuit

In March 2023, LesserEvil was named as a defendant in a proposed class-action lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California. The plaintiff alleged that the company's packaging and marketing misrepresented certain products as healthy alternatives and made other nutrition-related claims, while the products allegedly contained relatively high levels of saturated fat. The lawsuit asserted claims under California consumer-protection and false-advertising laws.

In March 2025, a federal judge dismissed the claims challenging “healthier” as an implied nutrient-content claim, as well as a claim seeking injunctive relief, but allowed other false-advertising claims to proceed.

DOGE

In February 2025, LesserEvil received criticism after reports that Edward Coristine, a member of Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), was the son of LesserEvil CEO Charles Coristine. Following reports about the connection, online discourse called for a boycott of LesserEvil. The company subsequently released an email statement to consumers that noted it was not affiliated with political figures, policies, or groups and reaffirming its stated values of health, sustainability, and affordability.