Nicholas Riccio is the husband of Karoline Leavitt, White House Press Secretary. He is an American real estate developer based in Hudson, New Hampshire, who turned his own misfortune into a business. Nicholas is the founder of Riccio Enterprises LLC and subsequently Nautical Beach Properties. Riccio himself was a homeless youth who went on to create a property portfolio of more than 15 buildings within Hampton Beach and the surrounding region.
Nicholas Riccio went from living on the streets at age 18 to building a multimillion-dollar real estate empire in New England. After facing early life struggles, he finished his education and then began his real estate career in the early 2000s. His journey started when he drove through a declining neighborhood in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire, and saw the potential for renovation and revival.
Nicholas Riccio Biography | |
|---|---|
| Real Name: | Nicholas Riccio |
| Birth Date: | February 23, 1965 |
| Age: | 60 Years |
| Birthplace: | Hudson, New Hampshire, USA |
| Height: | 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in) |
| Parents | Anthony and Marilyn Riccio |
| Wife: | Karoline Leavitt |
Early Life
Nicholas Riccio was born on 23rd February 1965 in Hudson, New Hampshire, to a family of four children. His parents’ names are Anthony and Marilyn Riccio. He was affected by the divorce of his parents during his childhood, and the family endured financial insecurity. Nicholas Riccio experienced homelessness in his late teens and usually had to depend on friends to shower when living on the streets. He sustained these obstacles, continuing his education by graduating from Plymouth State University, where he faced the problem of a shortage of money.
However, one of the most significant turning points was in 1990 when he finished a real estate course. Having been inspired by an outing with his deceased mother along the Hampton beach, he took a chance on the dilapidated buildings and started purchasing and refurbishing them—a strategy that came to characterize his business career.
Nicholas Riccio Career
Nicholas Riccio started his venture in real estate in the early 1990s, having completed a property certification course. He was inspired to see the potential in run-down coastal buildings on a drive through Hampton Beach and started to buy run-down buildings and renovate them on a small budget, using his own labor. In 2005, he established Riccio Enterprises LLC, then Nautical Beach Properties, with an expanding portfolio of more than 15 buildings and 70 units. His developments were able to revitalize sections of Hampton Beach, where he was credited with having made significant improvements to the quality of housing and injecting new vigor into the local economy.
He diversified into vacation rentals and seasonal housing, serving working-class renters and tourist summer visitors over the years. His properties are characterized by their integration of functionality and coastal appeal, a rare asset in a sea of holiday rentals that lack modernization. Riccio concentrated on investing in the community itself and provided a combination of longer-term rentals and vacation homes. His no-nonsense, roll-up-the-sleeves style has earned him a revered reputation in New Hampshire real estate—he is about quality, affordability, and personal touch in every project.
Personal Life
In January 2025, a few days before the second inauguration of President Trump, Nicholas Riccio married Karoline Leavitt, then the youngest White House press secretary in history. The two initially connected in 2022 at an event hosted by a mutual friend in New Hampshire, when Leavitt was running as a congressional candidate. They got engaged on Christmas Day 2023, which they announced on Instagram.
They have said their relationship is strong and supportive, even though they have an age gap of 32 years since he is 59 and she is 27 years old. Karoline has often stated that Riccio is her best friend and her number one fan, and she has been with her during stressful political moments. On July 10, 2024, they had a son named Nicholas Robert Nicko Riccio. Three days after an assassination attempt on former President Trump, Leavitt decided to go back to work at the same time that she was juggling motherhood with stressful responsibilities, and Riccio was critical in supporting her in those efforts.
Social Media
Nicholas Riccio maintains a small presence in the public eye and is evidently not present on social media. He does not have active accounts on Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn. His privacy covers even his image in social life; the greatest part of his biography is presented through interviews or through the words of his wife, not through direct contact.
He is married to a high-profile political figure, but he does not want to be in the spotlight. The majority of his business is run in traditional forms—through local reputation, word of mouth, and community investment as opposed to digital marketing.
Nicholas Riccio Net Worth
Nicholas Riccio has an estimated net worth of approximately 6 million dollars as of early 2025. He has accumulated most of his wealth through the acquisition, renovations, and renting of various properties in the Hampton Beach area. Other sources indicate that his net worth range might be even wider, anywhere between $6 million and as high as $45 million, but the common ground is towards the lower end of that scale.