Antonio Gracias

Gracias was born in Detroit, Michigan to immigrant parents. His father was a neurosurgeon from India and his mother a pharmacist from Spain running a shop. Gracias attended Georgetown University where he pursued a joint degree program in the Walsh School of Foreign Service, graduating with a BSFS and MSFS with a concentration in international economics in 1993. He also studied abroad at Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan, later returning to that city for a fellowship with Nikko Securities. He later attended the University of Chicago Law School, graduating with a JD in 1998. , Gracias is a member of the board of advisors for the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, as well as the University of Chicago board of trustees. == Career ==

While in law school, in 1995, Gracias founded MG Capital, a private equity firm whose core team formed the basis for the founding of Valor Equity Partners. He is Valor's chief executive officer and chief investment officer. In addition to Tesla and SpaceX, Valor's portfolio companies include Anduril Industries, Neuralink, Reddit, Eight Sleep, and Zipline. Gracias was a member of Tesla’s Board of Directors from 2007 to 2021. Gracias is a trustee of The Aspen Institute. He is also a member of the board of the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago and a member of the University of Chicago Board of Trustees. Gracias was named as one of the Presidential Ambassadors for Global Entrepreneurship by President Obama at the White House event on May 11, 2015. Lykos Therapeutics acquisition In May 2025, Gracias and British hedge fund billionaire Christopher Hohn led a $50 million Series B funding round to take control of Lykos Therapeutics, a pharmaceutical company developing MDMA-assisted psychotherapy treatments. The acquisition followed the Food and Drug Administration's rejection of Lykos's application for MDMA therapy approval earlier in 2025. Gracias had previously donated $1 million to the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) in 2020 and $16 million to psychedelics research at Harvard University in 2023. According to MAPS founder Rick Doblin, Gracias's involvement with Lykos began after a conversation at Burning Man festival where Gracias advised on the company's future following the FDA rejection. == Department of Government Efficiency ==

Following earlier part-time involvement with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), in March 2025, Gracias took on a role at the Social Security Administration to focus on DOGE cost-cutting efforts in the Social Security program. Ethics experts have raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest stemming from Gracias's simultaneous roles in government and private business. His acquisition of Lykos Therapeutics while serving in DOGE, which has embedded staff in the FDA, has drawn scrutiny from government watchdog groups. The Project on Government Oversight and Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington have questioned whether former DOGE members should be seeking regulatory approval for companies they control. == Relationship with Elon Musk ==

Gracias has maintained a close personal and business relationship with Elon Musk spanning more than two decades. He was an early investor in Tesla through Valor Equity Partners and served on Tesla's board from 2007 to 2021. He continues to serve on the SpaceX board and is an investor in Neuralink. The two men have taken multiple personal and family vacations together, including trips to magician David Copperfield's private island in the Bahamas, and Gracias was a groomsman at the wedding of Musk's brother Kimbal. During Musk's acquisition of Twitter in 2022, Gracias served as an enforcer and proxy, communicating Musk's directives to staff. Valor Equity Partners has reportedly been in talks with lenders to raise $12 billion for Musk's xAI artificial intelligence company. == Political donations ==

In 2007 and 2012, Gracias donated to presidential primary candidate, Barack Obama. In 2007 and 2016, he supported Hillary Clinton in the presidential election. In 2020, Gracias contributed nearly $500,000 to Joe Biden’s campaign and the Democratic National Committee. In 2024, Gracias contributed $1 million to Musk's America PAC effort to re-elect Trump. == Philanthropy ==

Gracias has been a significant donor to psychedelics research and advocacy organizations. He is part of a broader movement among Silicon Valley investors interested in the therapeutic and commercial potential of psychedelic drugs. In 2022, Gracias donated $5 million to Georgetown University through the Gracias Family Foundation to establish the Gracias Family Sunflower Current Use Scholarship, which provides financial support and emergency assistance to students displaced by the war in Ukraine. == References ==