Tragic Details About Karoline Leavitt's Decades-Older Husband Nicholas Riccio

One of the most compelling details in White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt's story is her generational age difference with her husband, Nicholas "Nick" Riccio. Naturally, her relationship with the real estate mogul has garnered some curiosity about who he is. Not to mention, the eye-watering price tag on Leavitt's engagement ring makes us all curious to know what Riccio does to afford a mammoth diamond like that. 

The father-of-one owns quite a lucrative real estate business, Riccio Enterprises LLC, maintaining millions of dollars worth of properties around New Hampshire, according to Realtor.com, who noted that the developer has amassed a whopping $6 million net worth. On paper, it sounds like Riccio has had his perfect cliché movie ending: he got the girl, and his future looks bright. However, Riccio's life hasn't always been so successful. His rags-to-riches story is harrowing and insightful but, at some points, tragic. He has shared stories of homelessness and strife in his family before making it big in the real estate industry.

There isn't much known about Nicholas Riccio; he's introverted, according to his wife, and lacks all social media presence except for an inactive LinkedIn profile, which says he owns Riccio Enterprises LLC and went to Plymouth State University. However, Seacoastonline wrote a profile on Riccio in 2005, which detailed the hardships the man had to face in his childhood.

The entrepreneur grew up in an impoverished family of six (he was one of four kids), and they often moved around. Per Realtor.com, his parents, Marilyn and Anthony, divorced when he was young. By the age of 18, Riccio was homeless, living on the streets, and depending on friends for a semblance of comfort. "When I was 19 or 20, I would call my buddies to go over [to] their houses to watch a game just so I could take a shower," he told the outlet. By the time he went to college, he would live out of his car just to afford tuition.

Nicholas Riccio credited his mom for inspiring him to chase his real estate dream. A casual drive down Hampton Beach, New Hampshire's M Street with his mother gave him the idea to invest in its properties, which eventually led to his self-made millionaire status. He told Seacoastonline that he works to honor the memory of his mother, who died of cancer in 1997. Five years later, in 2002, Riccio also lost his father to cancer.

Now a dad himself, Riccio has created a life for his son, Nikko, whom he shares with Karoline Leavitt, and it is practically the antithesis of his own upbringing. Since Riccio said he's worked hard to honor his mother, he must be proud of the life he's been able to build for his child. In an interview on "The Megyn Kelly Show," Leavitt gushed over her incredibly lavish life with Riccio. "He's built a very successful business for himself, so now he's fully supportive of me building my own success in my career," she said, adding, "and he's the father of my child, of course, and he is the best dad I could've ever asked for." The pair welcomed their son in July of 2024, with the White House press secretary posting on Instagram to announce his birth. She revealed that his full name is Nicholas, presumably after his father. 

When Karoline Leavitt posted an Instagram carousel of photos from her January 2025 wedding, people were quick to mock her relationship with Nicholas Riccio, who is 32 years her senior. "She married her own father?" one user commented, while another quipped: "True humanitarian! Marrying the elderly." More critics flooded her comment section to cast their judgment on the couple, but Leavitt doesn't seem to be bothered by the haters.

In her interview with Megyn Kelly, Leavitt addressed the chatter about her marriage, admitting that she and her husband started as friends and ended up falling for each other. When Kelly asked her if she ever went back and forth on dating Riccio, she said, "Of course. I mean, it's a very atypical love story, but he's incredible. He's my greatest supporter, he's my best friend, he's my rock."

Riccio hasn't publicly addressed his relationship with his wife, but Leavitt has admitted to her social media followers that her husband is fairly private. "He doesn't have social media and he's an introvert (complete opposite of me)," she wrote in an honest Instagram post (via the Daily Mail). She went on to explain that she respects his privacy by not posting him too much on social media. And given the hate they receive on posts featuring her husband, that might be for the best.