Antonio Gracias

Antonio Gracias is an American businessman who founded Valor Equity Partners. He has been on the board of directors for several companies in which Valor has invested, including Tesla, Inc. and SpaceX.

A longtime ally of Elon Musk, Gracias has received media attention for his participation in the Department of Government Efficiency. while his stake in SpaceX was worth more than US$65 billion as of June 2026.

Early life and education 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. 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 in May 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.

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. He continues to serve on the SpaceX board and is an investor in Neuralink.

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.