Giorgos Tsetis, co-founder of Nutrafol, has created a new type of family office called Great Things, which operates with a focus on rapid investment pacing and philanthropy. Unlike traditional family offices that emphasize patience and long-term holding, Great Things invests aggressively in high-growth startups and dedicates at least 20% of annual net profits to charitable causes. Since its launch about a year ago, following Tsetis’ sale of his stake in Nutrafol to Unilever at a $3.5 billion valuation, Great Things has invested nearly $40 million and pledged $7 million to nonprofits.

Tsetis’ family office model is designed as a blueprint for other wealthy families to prioritize giving back immediately rather than waiting until later. The firm’s philanthropic commitments include support for organizations such as an after-school boxing academy in the Bronx and Every Cure, which repurposes existing drugs for rare diseases. The family office uses a donor-advised fund to manage charitable obligations, ensuring donations can continue even if investment returns fluctuate. Tsetis predicts that Great Things will deploy an additional $60 million into startups over the next two years.

The firm’s investment strategy has evolved alongside the recent artificial intelligence boom, which delivered rapid profit realization, including a notable seven-times return on the AI company Anthropic. However, Tsetis and his partner Roman Kalantari, former chief technology officer at Nutrafol, now exercise caution by focusing on late-stage rounds and startups with sustainable business models. They have shifted attention to companies like Lila Sciences, which develops its own AI and robotic lab technology to accelerate scientific research.

Balancing financial returns with impact remains a work in progress at Great Things, exemplified by investments in both innovative and controversial companies such as Polymarket, a prediction-market startup. Tsetis emphasizes the importance of generating substantial returns while holding ethical considerations in check, allowing for swift exits when needed. The goal is to develop a sustainable, scalable family office model that encourages rapid wealth creation alongside meaningful philanthropy.