In a stunning turn that captured headlines worldwide, 27-year-old Karoline Leavitt, President Donald Trump’s historic pick for White House Press Secretary, didn’t just shatter political records—she also shattered societal expectations with her bold, unconventional love story.
The poised and confident Leavitt made a dazzling first impression on January 28 when she stood before a packed White House press corps, handling a sea of tough questions with remarkable maturity, poise, and grace far beyond her years.
Yet behind the polished podium performance was a deeply personal story that few truly understood—a story of resilience, loyalty, and a love that defied every odd stacked against it.
At the center of it all? Nicholas Riccio, Leavitt’s steadfast husband, who is 32 years her senior, and whose journey from homelessness to multimillionaire real estate mogul remains one of the most inspiring, little-known success stories of New England.
While the brutal spotlight of Washington politics has subjected Leavitt to furious scrutiny, relentless criticism, and the unforgiving glare of the media, she has stood her ground with the quiet strength of someone hardened by real battles—both personal and political.
Leavitt’s rise was no accident.
Having started her career humbly as a Fox News intern, she soon made waves by running for Congress at the astonishing age of 25, becoming a voice for a new generation of conservatives.
Though her bid for New Hampshire’s 1st District seat ultimately fell short, it catapulted her into the national conversation and made her personal life—particularly her marriage to Riccio—a source of widespread fascination and, at times, controversy.
Who was this man quietly standing behind one of America’s fastest-rising political stars?
Why did he choose Karoline Leavitt—a woman more than three decades younger—as his life partner?
Leavitt has fiercely protected Riccio’s privacy, noting in rare interviews that he shuns social media and has no desire to bask in public attention.
But among those who know him in New Hampshire, Nicholas Riccio is a local legend—a man who clawed his way up from devastating beginnings, once living in a car as a teenager, to amassing a multimillion-dollar property portfolio that now sprawls across the state.
Friends describe him as stoic, fiercely intelligent, and loyal to a fault—the type of man who values integrity over appearances, substance over spectacle.
And it is this very quality—not fame, fortune, or status—that drew Riccio to Leavitt.
In a world obsessed with surfaces, he saw in Karoline a kindred spirit: someone who, despite her youth, had already weathered storms that would have broken others twice her age.
In quiet moments, he has reportedly told close friends that what made him choose Karoline wasn’t her age, nor her rising stardom—it was her soul.
Her resilience.
Her fire.
Her unshakeable belief in standing for something bigger than herself.
“Age means nothing when you find someone who knows how to fight the storms with you,” Riccio once confided to a family friend. “Karoline isn’t just my wife. She’s my anchor.”
Today, as critics continue to sling arrows and gossip about the age gap, Leavitt and Riccio stand undeterred—a living testament to the idea that real connection transcends appearances, headlines, and the brutal churn of public opinion.
Their story—improbable, unconventional, and fiercely genuine—reminds us of a truth too often forgotten:
Sometimes, the strongest partnerships are built not in spite of adversity, but because of it.
And as Karoline Leavitt continues her meteoric rise, she does so hand-in-hand with a man who knows exactly what it means to fall, to rebuild, and to choose love over fear.
President Donald Trump’s White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, has become a superstar in the political realm—however, her husband boasts his own very impressive career in real estate.(karolineleavitt/Instagram)
The mom of one captured the world’s attention when she made her debut in the briefing room on Jan. 28, quickly impressing viewers with her maturity.(karolineleavitt/Instagram)
However, while he now enjoys a life of privilege, Riccio—who has a net worth of $6 million, according to Distractify—did not achieve his success easily.
The 59-year-old was raised in New Hampshire by his parents, Anthony and Marilyn, who divorced when he was just a young child.
Riccio hopped between homes following their separation, until he ended up living on the streets at the age of 18.
“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 previously revealed to The Portsmouth Herald.
Riccio put himself through college by stocking shelves at a grocery store and borrowing money, eventually graduating from Plymouth State University.
It was then that his interest in real estate was first fueled.
The businessman—who often opted to sleep in his car when he couldn’t afford to pay rent—took a real estate course in 1990 and fell in love with the building world. He opted to turn his interests to New Hampshire’s Hampton Beach when he realized how many properties in the area were in desperate need of rejuvenation.
He recalled to the Sunday Herald in 2005 that he and his mother were out for a drive in Hampton Beach when they came across M Street, a long stretch of properties that had fallen into a state of severe disrepair over the years—leading to some of the structures being condemned.
Riccio knew almost immediately that he wanted to make the street his legacy—but without the funds to buy up the entire street straight away, he had to start small.
He pushed his finances and managed to pull together enough money to buy just one of the buildings. And thus began his real estate portfolio.
In addition to her accomplished resume, Leavitt’s sophisticated attitude can also be credited to her 59-year-old spouse, who has been thrust into the public eye as his wife makes waves in her new position. (karolineleavitt/Instagram)
Although Riccio is an ultraprivate man, he has grown accustomed to a lavish lifestyle as he is the manager of multimillion-dollar real estate company, Riccio Enterprises LLC, a subsidiary of Nautical Beach Properties.(karolineleavitt/Instagram)
According to property records, there are currently 10 homes registered under his company’s LLC, with nine of them in New Hampshire and one in West Virginia.
The homes were all built in the late 1900s and cost Riccio anywhere from $5,500 to $400,000.
In 2023, Riccio’s New Hampshire property made headlines when it erupted into flames. The cause of the fire was never determined; however, it was reported that the property suffered extreme water and fire damage.
According to Riccio’s company website, Nautical Beach Properties aims to help guests “enjoy” the sunshine and sparkling water nearby.
“Make yourself comfortable at the Nautical Beach Properties. Sit outside in the afternoon sun and enjoy the sunset. We are a short walk to the sandy beach and boardwalk activities. Come enjoy our friendly hospitality and more. Located close to everything you need for vacationing.
“Enjoy morning walks on the beach, sunset cruises, a wide variety of restaurants, miniature golf, water slides, and several arcades for fun the whole family can enjoy. At Hampton Harbor, just down the street, you can charter boats for whale watching and deep sea fishing.
“Hampton Beach offers a variety of nightly entertainment at the Sea Shell Stage with fireworks every Wednesday night. Lots of great shopping with souvenirs, beach wear, and other necessities and groceries,” the website reads.
Riccio currently has a number of properties and rooms up for rent. A one-bedroom waterfront room will cost guests $139 per night, while a beach house will run them around $154 a night.
Although it is unclear when Riccio and Leavitt started dating, it’s believed that the pair met through a mutual friend at a political event.
Leavitt—who worked in the previous Trump White House, where she was a member of then-Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany‘s team—previously revealed that her husband is the “opposite” of her and is an “introvert.”
“He doesn’t have social media and he’s an introvert (complete opposite of me),” she has explained.
“I respect his privacy on here – but he’s my number one fan, the best dad, and just the best man I’ve ever met.”
According to property records, there are currently 10 homes registered under Riccio’s company’s LLC, with nine of them in New Hampshire and one in West Virginia.(Realtor.com)
The homes were all built in the late 1900s and cost Riccio anywhere from $5,500 to $400,000. (Realtor.com)
Although it is unclear when Riccio and Leavitt started dating, it’s believed that the pair met through a mutual friend at a political event.
In 2022, Riccio even helped fund Leavitt’s campaign for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, which she ultimately lost.
The following year, the couple went Instagram-official when Leavitt posted a flick of Riccio proposing to her, alongside the caption: “I get to marry the man of my dreams. I feel SO overwhelmingly BLESSED. Thank you God.”
They went on to welcome a son on July 10, 2024, with Leavitt calling it the “best moment of her life.”
“It’s true when they say there’s nothing comparable to the love you feel for your child,” she wrote on Instagram at the time.
“My heart has grown bigger than I ever imagined possible. Babies are the ultimate blessing and I’m bursting with gratitude for our beautiful, happy, healthy boy.”
Just weeks before she stepped behind the podium as the White House press secretary, Leavitt revealed she was looking forward to heading back into the White House but admitted she was “nervous” about missing moments with her son.
She took to Instagram to lift the lid on the woes she was battling ahead of her new role, revealing that she was “praying” about the situation.
Leavitt and Riccio went on to welcome a son on July 10, 2024, with Leavitt calling it the ‘best moment of her life.’ (karolineleavitt/Instagram)
Just weeks before she stepped behind the podium as the White House press secretary, Leavitt revealed she was looking forward to heading back into the White House but admitted she was “nervous” about missing moments with her son.(karolineleavitt/Instagram)
One follower questioned: “Do you worry about the demands of the job and missing out on moments with your son?”
Leavitt replied: “Yes. I literally pray about this everyday. It’s very difficult but it’s also all I know.
“I went back to work just days after giving birth. I have learned to multi-task and prioritize my time.
“I’m also grateful to have an amazing husband and family who help me. Couldn’t do it without them.
“I remind myself this job is temporary, it’s the opportunity of a lifetime, and I know one day he will be proud of his mama.”
Leavitt also shared a glimpse into what it was like working for Trump and how she was handling her upcoming move.
“We are getting ready to move. I lived in D.C. and worked in the White House during President Trump’s first time so I know the city well, and looking forward to going back,” she wrote.
