Daniel Grayson

Daniel Edward Grayson is Conrad and Victoria's son and their only biologically mutual child. He is a wild party boy, who subtlely resists his family's efforts to groom him as the future CEO of the family company, Grayson Global. Despite being Victoria's favorite child, he does not have free rein. Due to several incidents with the law in combination with his rambunctious party boy image, it has left him on thin ice with his father. However, they are able to mend their relationship.

Biography

He is the son of Conrad and Victoria Grayson and the older brother of his half sister Charlotte Grayson (they both have a $100 million trust fund). He is an all-American boy whose life embodies all that comes with being the firstborn of a wealthy family — high expectations to succeed partnered with a penchant for getting into any and all trouble his family can buy his way out of. However, when his party-boy ways culminated in a messy drunk driving accident the previous summer, Daniel’s free-pass was revoked by his parents and replaced with stricter boundaries and even higher expectations. At the start of the series, Daniel has returned to the Hamptons after a semester at Harvard Business School struggling to face the demons of his past and re-imagine the life he wants to live and the man he wants to be.

Personality

Daniel had been a party boy in the past and had a drinking problem but he had sobred considerably by the time Emily Thorne arrived and only got drunk when Tyler coaxed him to. He was trusting and easily manipulated by both Tyler and Emily. Although in later season 1 and especially in Season 2 he drinks a lot, like Victoria and Conrad. Tyler thought he was stupid and also suspected that Daniel might be scared of him once Daniel learned about his true nature. Although Daniel was a better person than the rest of his family, except Charlotte who was by far the most honorable and trustworthy of the Graysons, he had been raised to think about his family's status and reputation instead of telling the truth. He genuinely cares about people, including Charlotte, Emily, Tyler and his parents though the later are at different times and he turned on Tyler once he found out about his true nature and motives. Many people including Nolan, Aiden and Conrad underestimate his intellect and businessman abilities, despite the obvious that he is easily manipulative, except Emily and Victoria, who both believe he is capable of much more. Victoria constantly says that Daniel is easily manipulated and controlled by the women in his life (Emily, Ashley and Victoria).

Despite the fact that in early season 1, he was a genuinely caring person unlike his parents, he is notably slowly turning into his parents, by not telling the truth about his father at the interview, by continuously standing by his parents, by helping Conrad get the evidence from Victoria and trying to make her not confess against his father, and by standing by his parents and keeping the secret of killing Helen Crowely, framing Amanda and later Murdering her as well. He clearly despises his parents and their actions as he openly accuses them and yells at them (2x12). However, when it came to himself being in the same situation as Conrad 20 years ago, he does the same thing by framing Aiden, despite initially being hesitant. Daniel can be very obsessive, protective, possessive and jealous especially when it comes to Emily. As of the season 2 finale it is unsure if he killed Aiden, making him a murderer, like his parents. It is clear that when it comes to his parents poor actions he is despises his parents but stands by them probably because he feels he might as well profit off things that happened 20 years ago (Becomes CEO of Grayson Global) as he had nothing to do with it. He failed to acknowledge until late season 2 that everything they have is "blood money" at the expense of David and Amanda Clark, and all the people on Flight 197 and now Real Emily Thorne and Declan Porter.

Despite his early intentions and confessions to Emily, he is becoming like his parents. He tried to turn the tables of Grayson Global to increase charities, however he fails to see that he is using the same company that has caused multiple deaths for this cause. He fails to see that you can't use bad things to make good, without telling the truth about Grayson Global and his parents past. However, it is not confirmed if Daniel meant that he took over Grayson Global to increase charities or to reconnect to Emily. When it comes to him being in trouble, he runs away (Paris).