Louis Devaleix didn’t pick up a polo mallet until he was 39. Two years later, he was lifting a championship trophy. That kind of story tends to get people’s attention — and his appearance in Netflix’s Polo documentary made sure plenty of people heard it.
Whether you found him through the documentary or stumbled across his name in a sports headline, this profile covers everything worth knowing: his background, business career, polo rise, and where he stands today.
Who Is Louis Devaleix?
Louis Devaleix was born in France and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in an environment that blended sport, discipline, and international exposure. His family lived on a golf and polo club, immersing him early in athletic culture — even though he wouldn’t formally take up polo until much later in life.
Recognising his athletic potential, his parents enrolled him at the Benjamin School in 1996, where he stood out as a varsity athlete in both golf and swimming. That early grounding in competitive sport left a mark that never really faded.
In 1999, Devaleix moved to the United States to pursue higher education. He enrolled at Tulane University, where he studied business at the A.B. Freeman School of Business. During his freshman year, he also competed on Tulane’s men’s golf team.
Golf was the sport he knew. Polo was still a distant idea.
Quick Facts: Louis Devaleix
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Birthplace | France |
| Raised | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| Education | Tulane University |
| Polo team | La Fe |
| Position | Number 4 (defensive back) |
| Polo start | 2020 (age 39) |
| Major titles | East Coast Open (2021), San Jorge Open (2024) |
| Company | Dazos (co-founder & COO) |
| Netflix | Polo (2024) |
| Based | Boca Raton, Florida |
Louis Devaleix’s Business Career Before Polo
Most people who become polo patrons come from old money or finance. Devaleix built his wealth the harder way — through years of operational work in healthcare.
His early professional years focused on understanding how data, systems, and compliance intersect in healthcare. That experience culminated in the creation and growth of Harmony Recovery Group, a multi-state network of addiction treatment centres. He and his business partner David Farache scaled it into a significant operation combining clinical services with data-backed management.
In early 2022, Harmony Recovery Group was successfully sold to Thrive Healthcare, marking a significant entrepreneurial exit and providing both capital and strategic insight that would inform their next venture.
What Is Dazos?
Later in 2022, Devaleix and Farache co-founded Dazos, a Boca Raton–based behavioural health software company designed to address operational inefficiencies in mental health and addiction treatment centres. Unlike many healthtech startups built purely from abstract models, Dazos was created by operators who had firsthand experience running treatment organisations.
Dazos offers an integrated suite of tools, including customer relationship management (CRM), analytics, marketing automation, and billing solutions tailored specifically to behavioural healthcare providers.
As co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Dazos, Devaleix brought a major funding milestone in 2025 — a $25M Series A led by Radian Capital. That round put Dazos firmly on the healthtech map.
How Did Louis Devaleix Get Into Polo?
This is the part of his story that catches most people off guard.
Devaleix had his first horseback experience relatively late — in 2020 — while visiting the Sunset Polo Club in Loxahatchee, Florida. That moment marked the beginning of a profound transformation for him. His initial polo lesson, guided by Carlos Gonzalez — a seasoned polo instructor renowned for his ability to cultivate raw talent — left a mark he described as life-changing.
He didn’t ease into the sport gradually. Within months, he was competing seriously.
Taking his first polo lesson just two short years prior, Devaleix (pronounced Louie Divalex) was already preparing for his second tournament final with his team La Fe.
How La Fe Was Formed
He joined forces with three skilled players — Lucas Escobar, Robi Bilbao, and Francisco Elizalde — to form the now-celebrated team La Fe. The team was named after Bilbao’s family farm in Argentina.
Devaleix’s partnership with Roberto “Robi” Bilbao, a seasoned player from Trenque Lauquen, Argentina, proved pivotal. Together, they built La Fe into a competitive organisation — and Bilbao became much more than a teammate. He’s now Devaleix’s business partner in their growing venture.
Louis Devaleix’s Polo Career Highlights
He started in 2020. The wins came almost immediately.
Key Tournament Results:
- 2021 East Coast Open — Devaleix and La Fe won the prestigious East Coast Open at Greenwich, marking a landmark moment for a team in its debut season.
- 2022 Argentine Triple Crown & Gauntlet of Polo — La Fe ran successful campaigns in both, cementing their reputation as a competitive force at the international level.
- 2024 San Jorge Open — La Fe claimed victory in September 2024. Adding to the occasion, Devaleix played alongside Camilo “Jeta” Castagnola, the reigning Argentine Open champion, while facing Adolfo Cambiaso and his son Poroto on the opposing side.
Usually seen in the Number 4 defensive position, Devaleix has played alongside elite athletes including 10-goaler Hilario Ulloa. That speaks to the level La Fe consistently operates at.
What Did He Say About Polo?
In his own words: “Polo is the only sport where you get to play in the Super Bowl with the Tom Brady’s of the world. It truly is hands down the most beautiful sport I’ve come across and I’m thankful to be a part of it.”
Louis Devaleix on Netflix’s Polo Documentary
Netflix’s Polo offered an in-depth look at the prestigious world of polo. Among the notable personalities featured is Louis Devaleix, a standout player from Team La Fe. The documentary highlights his commitment to his craft, his rigorous training regimen, and the balance he maintains between his competitive ambitions and personal life.
The 2024 release put La Fe — and Devaleix specifically — in front of a global audience that had little prior knowledge of high-goal polo. For many viewers, his story was the hook: a successful tech entrepreneur who took his first riding lesson at 39 and went on to win at the sport’s highest levels.
Louis Devaleix Net Worth
No verified public figure has been confirmed, though his business exits and continued success with Dazos — which raised $25M in 2025 — alongside his polo organisation suggest substantial wealth. His role as both a tech operator and a polo patron, a position that requires significant financial backing for horses, staff, and tournament entries, points to a high-net-worth profile.
Louis Devaleix’s Personal Life
With his wife, Pamela, by his side throughout La Fe’s growth, Devaleix has built both a competitive polo organisation and a strong personal foundation. He is based in Boca Raton, Florida.
What’s Next for Louis Devaleix?
Looking ahead, Devaleix shared that La Fe would not compete in the Gauntlet of Polo in 2025, choosing instead to focus on long-term goals. His primary emphasis is on investing in top-quality horses to assemble a team with a genuine shot at claiming major titles.
On the business side, Dazos continues to grow with serious institutional backing. It’s rare to manage a scaling software company while simultaneously competing at elite polo level — but Devaleix has shown that’s exactly what he does.
His story doesn’t fit a single category. He’s not purely a sportsman. He’s not purely a tech entrepreneur. He’s built both things simultaneously, starting each one at a point when most people would consider themselves too late to begin.
Curious about other polo personalities from the Netflix documentary? Check out our profiles of more La Fe team members and rival patrons.
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