Updated
Updated · CNBC · Aug 13
Giorgos Tsetis Commits 20% of Family Office Profits to Philanthropy After Investing Nearly $40 Million
Updated
Updated · CNBC · Aug 13

Giorgos Tsetis Commits 20% of Family Office Profits to Philanthropy After Investing Nearly $40 Million

1 articles · Updated · CNBC · Aug 13

Summary

  • Great Things channels at least 20% of annual net realized profits to philanthropy, a model Giorgos Tsetis says should push wealthy families to give during wealth creation rather than after it.
  • Nearly $40 million has been invested over the past 18 months, while about $7 million has gone to nonprofits through gifts and pledges backed by a donor-advised fund if profits fall short.
  • A seven-times return on Anthropic in 18 months helped fund the approach, though Tsetis and partner Roman Kalantari say they are now more cautious on AI and favor later-stage, more liquid bets.
  • The family office, launched about a year ago after Tsetis sold his remaining Nutrafol stake to Unilever at a $3.5 billion valuation, expects to deploy another $60 million in the next two years.
  • Great Things is still testing how to balance high-return investments with impact goals, including holdings such as Polymarket that Tsetis says could be exited quickly through the secondary market.

Insights

Is this new wave of venture-style philanthropy a genuine revolution for nonprofits, or just a clever shield for aggressive wealth building?
Could funding critical rare disease research with volatile AI startup profits actually jeopardize the charities it aims to save?
When tech bubbles burst, will the donor-advised funds of these new billionaires truly protect the charities depending on their pledges?