The Untold Truth Of Karoline Leavitt's Husband Nicholas Riccio

For those firmly entrenched in the MAGA movement, Karoline Leavitt and Nicholas Riccio is the greatest love story of our times. The couple — whose age gap stands at 32 years — has become household names since Leavitt was appointed as the White House's youngest ever press secretary in 2025. And their romance only developed because of a Republican get-together.

"A mutual friend of ours hosted an event at a restaurant that he owns up in New Hampshire and invited my husband," Leavitt explained on "The Megyn Kelly Show" in 2025 about their meet cute. "I was speaking. We met, we were acquainted as friends, and then we fell in love." Of course, things soon blossomed further and after announcing their engagement on Instagram, the happy couple became first-time parents and then husband and wife in a private ceremony. But what do we know about the groom? From fatherhood and family losses to sporting dreams and street renovations, here's a look at Riccio's untold truth.

As anyone who's noted the significant 32-year age gap between Nicholas Riccio and the oft-shady Karoline Leavitt may have already worked out, the former was born in 1965. And his upbringing was far removed from the life of glitz and glamor he's become accustomed to.

Indeed, long before he made a multi-million-dollar fortune in the world of real estate development, Riccio spent his early years with his three siblings, mother Marilyn, and father Anthony in poverty. His home life became even more unsettled when his parents split, resulting in several relocations and therefore several different schools throughout his childhood. He eventually graduated from Hudson, New Hampshire's Alvirne High School in 1983.

While speaking to Sea Coast Online back in 2005, Riccio recalled how his beloved mom always did her best for her family, but also how she would often feel frustrated that she couldn't provide more. This ultimately gave him the drive and determination that has helped to power his lucrative career.

Nicholas Riccio's financial situation only got worse as he entered adulthood. Without a college fund to rely on, the real estate mogul had to pay his own way while studying at Plymouth State University. When he didn't have the money to pay his rent on time, he often resorted to getting some shuteye in his car. "When I was 19 or 20, I would call my buddies to go over their houses to watch a game just so I could take a shower," Riccio told Sea Coast Online about this difficult on/off homeless period.

Upon his graduation, the future multi-millionaire continued to have money problems. In fact, after taking a course in real estate, Riccio would often take out loans with extortionate interest rates just to get his foot on the ladder. Luckily, he was soon able to pay back all the cash he borrowed with ease.

Nicholas Riccio has credited his mom, Marilyn, for inspiring his rags-to-riches journey from the streets of Plymouth to the upper echelons of the real estate market. In fact, it was during a mother-son drive back in his late 20s when he hit upon his first successful project.

The Riccios were traveling from their home in Massachusetts to Hampton Beach on this particular occasion when Nicholas spotted a street that had certainly seen better days. While most passers-by would have been unable to envision the area as anything other than a dump, the Plymouth State University graduate instantly recognized its potential and told his mom that he was going to renovate every single building situated in it.

Sadly, Marilyn didn't get to see the project completed to fruition. She died from cancer in 1997. But Nicholas continued to work hard in her honor and his dream was eventually realized. The multi-millionaire had also lost his dad, Anthony, to the same condition when his father was 60 years old in 2002.

Nicholas Riccio's dream of renovating an entire Hampton Beach street may have seemed like the stuff of fantasy when he was a penniless grocery store worker. But through sheer grit, determination, and hard work, by the mid-2000s, the property developer had remarkably bought and renovated no fewer than 15 buildings. And he lived in one for a time, too.

M Street's makeover certainly got the seal of approval from the local authorities, with Hampton police chief William Wrenn telling Sea Coast Online that Riccio had been a huge asset to the local community. "It's an area we have had many difficulties with through the years," the officer explained. "But Nick is renovating buildings to a point where families will be interested in coming in. His properties are clean, they have new appliances and many nice renovations. He really is trying to change the image."

And if Riccio ever needed some more motivation to get the project completed, he simply looked at his scrapbook packed with articles documenting M Street's unsavory history. "40 years of prior history can't change in two years," Riccio expressed to Sea Coast Online. "But I've got more family rentals coming in this summer than I've ever had before. I will keep the faith, build the apartments up and change things little by little."

Karoline Leavitt has kept relatively tight-lipped about her relationship with Nicholas Riccio. In fact, most of the world didn't know they were even an item until she announced their engagement on Instagram in December 2023. But occasionally, the youngest press secretary in White House history will offer a glimpse into their private life.

Take Leavitt's 2025 appearance on "The Megyn Kelly Show," for example, in which she revealed that Riccio was fully behind her political ambitions. "He is my greatest supporter, he's my best friend, he's my rock," she told the host. "He's built a very successful business himself so now he's fully supportive of me building my success in my career."

Leavitt — who was once accused of delivering an embarrassing snub to her husband – also applauded Riccio for taking the whirlwind that surrounds her in his stride. "And he is so supportive, especially during a very chaotic period of life," Leavitt gushed. "I say, 'I walked into your life and it's been a circus ever since,' but God bless him because he's fully on board."

Renovating an entire Hampton Beach street isn't the only dream that Nicholas Riccio has had for most of his adult life. The property developer also has every intention of owning his very own professional sports franchise.

Riccio has been given helpful tips from several men who've already achieved such a goal. Drew Webber (New Hampshire Fisher Cats and Lowell Spinners), Jerry Colangelo (Arizona Diamondbacks and Phoenix Suns), and Frank McCourt (Los Angeles Dodgers) are just a few of the sports magnates who've offered their words of wisdom over the years. "I feel blessed," Riccio told Sea Coast Online back in 2005. "The evolution of everyone I've met with, all their knowledge from their experiences, I can learn over a cup of coffee."

Riccio — whose home at the time boasted a sporting shrine that included signed snaps of basketball icon Larry Bird and boxing gloves autographed by the one and only Muhammad Ali — hasn't yet fulfilled his ultimate goal. But considering the company he keeps, it only seems a matter of when, not if.

In the summer of 2024, Nicholas Riccio became a dad for the first time at the age of 59 when his future wife, Karoline Leavitt, gave birth to their son — also named Nicholas (and nicknamed Niko). During her interview on "The Megyn Kelly Show" a year later, the White House press secretary revealed that her husband had taken to fatherhood like a duck to water.

"I'm so grateful to have the support system I do," Leavitt, who once gave us a brutal reminder of her husband's age in a poolside pic, told the host. "Great husband, who can be very present with our child. And then, of course, a wonderful mother and father and friends who chip in when I need them," she added, referring to her own parents, Erin and Bob Leavitt.

Indeed, Riccio was left holding the baby just days after he was welcomed into the world. Following the attempted assassination of Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania rally in July 2024, Leavitt decided to forgo the majority of her maternity leave and head straight back to work.

As you would expect, Nicholas Riccio shares the same political beliefs as the White House's youngest ever press secretary Karoline Leavitt. In fact, he forged his own connection with Donald Trump's Republican Party long before he even met his wife. In 2019, it was reported that Riccio had provided a meeting point for a Women for Trump event co-organized by the Republican National Committee. The property magnate lent two of the buildings he owned on the Hampton Beach street he famously helped to renovate.

However, it's an encounter with the 43rd president of the United States that Riccio no doubt holds the most dear. While attending the Pease International Tradeport in 2005, he got into a conversation with George W. Bush, a one-time Texas Rangers owner, about his professional sports franchise ambitions. And the encounter only gave Riccio even more impetus to make the dream a reality.

Nicholas Riccio may be a multi-millionaire property developer and aspiring professional sports franchise owner married to one of the most prominent faces in Donald Trump's administration. But, as his lack of an online presence suggests, Riccio has little interest in hogging the spotlight, perhaps explaining why he and Karoline Leavitt's PDA moments are few and far between.

Leavitt confirmed as much when she took to Instagram in 2025 for a post about her other half. "He doesn't have social media and he's an introvert," the White House press secretary told her followers (via Daily Mail). "I respect his privacy on [Instagram] — but he's my number one fan, the best dad, and just the best man I've ever met."

Of course, Riccio will occasionally pop up on Leavitt's Instagram account. In fact, it was on the photo-sharing platform that the pair first when public. "I get to marry the man of my dreams," the one-time Congress candidate gushed alongside a snap of being proposed to by Riccio, who's shockingly close in age to her parents. "I get to marry the man of my dreams. I feel SO overwhelmingly BLESSED. Thank you God."

Nicholas Riccio's renovation of Hampton Beach's M Street suffered a setback in 2023 when one of his properties there went ablaze. The rental cottage in question, which was built way back in the early 20th century, suffered fire and water damage as a result.

According to reports, a neighbor ensured things didn't get worse by alerting both the emergency services and the individual occupying the home at the time. Luckily, the latter managed to make their escape without any harm, although a firefighter who arrived at the scene did have to be treated for minor injuries.

In a press statement made by Hampton Fire, it was revealed that the fire was contained to the attic and the back of the property and that it caused damage to the tune of $75,000. The cottage had previously been owned by the Hampton Beach Improvement Company before being bought by Riccio's Nautical Beach Properties in 1996.

In 2021, Karoline Leavitt revealed that she planned to run for New Hampshire's first congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives election the following year. In the space of three days, supporters donated a cool $100,000 for her cause, a figure which had ballooned even more by the time she eventually lost to Democrat Chris Pappas. According to reports, one of her donors was her future husband.

Indeed, Nicholas Riccio served on the finance committee for Leavitt's unsuccessful campaign. Although it's not known how much he funded directly, it is known that he was among the financiers owed a combined total of $300,000 for contributing over the legal limit.

Leavitt, who once tried to bridge the age gap with her husband in a stuffy old lady outfit, has always insisted that money has never been a factor when it comes to her relationship with Riccio. "I mean it's a very atypical love story, but he's incredible," she told "The Megyn Kelly Show" in 2025.

Nicholas Riccio is perhaps a perfect advertisement for positive thinking. Although he barely made enough money to make ends meet while working in a grocery store in his 20s, he firmly believed that one day his fortunes would dramatically change. Fast forward a few decades, and his net worth reportedly stands at a whopping $6 million!

Riccio, of course, accrued such an impressive figure through his efforts in the real estate industry. Property records confirm that his company owns no less than 15 buildings, all but one of which are situated in New Hampshire (the other being in West Virginia). According to reports, he bought some for as low as $5,500 and others as high as $400,000. Of course, Riccio's bank balance is only likely to soar even higher now that he's mixing in such high political circles, a result of his marriage to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt whose own net worth stands at an estimated $100,000.