Nicholas Riccio, born in 1965, is an American real estate developer and entrepreneur from Hudson, New Hampshire. He built a self-made property portfolio worth an estimated $6 million in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire.
He gained wide public attention in 2025 as the husband of White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
Who is Nicholas Riccio?
Nicholas Riccio is an American real estate developer and entrepreneur based in New Hampshire. He built his entire fortune from scratch after experiencing homelessness as a young adult, eventually creating a multi-property rental and vacation business in Hampton Beach.
He owns Riccio Enterprises LLC, the umbrella company for his property portfolio, along with its subsidiary Nautical Beach Properties. Together, these businesses manage over 15 buildings and approximately 70 rental units across New Hampshire.
Riccio came into broader public focus after marrying Karoline Leavitt in January 2025.
Leavitt was appointed White House Press Secretary in January 2025, becoming the youngest person ever to hold that position. Riccio’s role as her strongest supporter has been a recurring theme in her public interviews since taking office.
He keeps a deliberately private profile and has no active social media accounts. His wife has described him as introverted but wholly supportive of her demanding public role.
Early Life of Nicholas Riccio
Nicholas Riccio was born in 1965 and grew up in Hudson, New Hampshire. He was one of four children, raised by his parents, Marilyn and Anthony, in financially constrained circumstances.
His parents divorced when he was young, which led to frequent moves and several school changes throughout his childhood. Those years of instability shaped his outlook and, later, his work ethic.
His mother Marilyn died of cancer in 1997, and his father Anthony died of cancer in 2002.
Riccio has spoken about the profound influence his mother had on his ambitions. A casual drive with her through Hampton Beach in 1993 gave him the idea that would define his career.
Nicholas Riccio Age
Nicholas Riccio is 60 years old as of June 28, 2026, born in 1965 in Hudson, New Hampshire.
His exact birth date has not been publicly confirmed across verified sources.
In 2026, his real estate business in Hampton Beach continues to generate income, and his wife Karoline Leavitt returned to the White House press briefing room after welcoming their daughter in May 2026.
Nicholas Riccio Ethnicity and Nationality
Nicholas Riccio holds American nationality, born and raised in New Hampshire.
His background is White American with European roots, consistent with his family’s history in New England. He has not publicly discussed his ethnic heritage in detail.
His upbringing in Hudson, New Hampshire, a small New England town, gave him a regional identity that closely ties him to the Granite State’s working-class communities.
Nicholas Riccio Education
Riccio attended Alvirne High School in Hudson, New Hampshire, graduating in 1983. After high school, he enrolled at Plymouth State University in New Hampshire.
His time at Plymouth State was marked by financial hardship. To stay enrolled, he worked shifts stocking shelves at Purity Supreme grocery stores in Massachusetts. When he could not afford rent, he slept in his car.
He graduated from Plymouth State University despite those difficult circumstances.
After graduating, he completed a real estate course in 1990. That course proved to be the single most consequential step in his professional life.
Nicholas Riccio Career
Nicholas Riccio entered the working world through manual and service jobs while trying to get through college. He stocked grocery shelves, took on odd jobs, and borrowed money from friends at steep interest rates to fund early real estate purchases.
His career in real estate began in earnest after he completed his 1990 certification course. From the start, he focused on a single strategy: buy distressed properties, renovate them, and rent them out.
The turning point came in 1993.
Early Career
During a drive through Hampton Beach with his mother, Riccio spotted M Street, a stretch of rundown and condemned buildings that others had written off. His real estate training helped him see value where others saw blight.
He began purchasing properties there at low prices. Some acquisitions reportedly cost as little as $5,500. After buying, he would renovate using his own labor and then rent the units to families and visitors.
Hampton Beach Police Chief William Wrenn described his work in a 2005 interview, noting that Riccio was “renovating buildings to a point where families will be interested in coming in.”
Riccio Enterprises LLC and Major Business
In 2005, he formalized his operations by incorporating Riccio Enterprises LLC. The company operates from 147 Ashworth Ave, Hampton, New Hampshire, and serves as the holding entity for his entire property portfolio.
His subsidiary, Nautical Beach Properties, handles the vacation rental side of the business. This includes the Nautical Motel, beach houses, and apartments that cater to summer tourists visiting New Hampshire’s coastline.
Nautical Beach Properties generates strong seasonal revenue, complementing the steadier income from his long-term residential rentals.
The full portfolio spans over 15 buildings and approximately 70 units, with properties primarily concentrated in Hampton Beach and one property in West Virginia. Federal financial disclosures from his wife’s White House appointment confirmed three active mortgages on investment properties, each exceeding $1 million.
Current Ventures
By 2026, Riccio’s real estate business has operated for over three decades, with a track record of steady property acquisition and rental income. He continues to manage his Hampton Beach portfolio while his wife serves in Washington.
In 2019, he hosted a Women for Trump event at two of his Hampton Beach properties, co-organized with the Republican National Committee. This marked an early public intersection between his business and political circles.
He has also long expressed a goal of owning a professional sports franchise. In 2005, he met briefly with President George W. Bush at a Pease International Tradeport event in New Hampshire and raised the topic of baseball team ownership directly with him.
Nicholas Riccio Companies and Investments
Riccio Enterprises LLC anchors his business operations. The company focuses on acquiring, renovating, and leasing residential and commercial properties, primarily in coastal New Hampshire.
Nautical Beach Properties functions as the consumer-facing vacation rental arm. It books beach houses, motel rooms, and apartments for tourists visiting Hampton Beach, one of New Hampshire’s busiest coastal destinations.
His portfolio spans both long-term residential rentals and short-term vacation units. This dual structure provides year-round rental income alongside strong seasonal peaks.
Nicholas Riccio Business Achievements
Riccio’s most documented business achievement is transforming M Street in Hampton Beach from a stretch of condemned buildings into a functioning residential and commercial corridor. Local officials credited his renovation work with improving housing quality in the area.
He built his entire portfolio without inherited wealth or financial backing from investors. His early borrowing from friends at interest rates between 50 and 100 percent was repaid in full.
His portfolio grew from the earliest single-building purchase to over 15 buildings across more than three decades of consistent reinvestment.
Nicholas Riccio Wife
Nicholas Riccio is married to Karoline Leavitt, the White House Press Secretary serving under President Donald Trump’s second administration. Leavitt made history in January 2025 as the youngest person ever appointed to that role.
The couple met in 2022 at a restaurant event in New Hampshire, introduced by a mutual friend during Leavitt’s campaign for a congressional seat. On Christmas Day, December 25, 2023, Riccio proposed to Leavitt in New Hampshire.
Leavitt announced their engagement publicly on Instagram, revealing their relationship to the world for the first time.
They married on January 4, 2025, at Wentworth By the Sea Country Club in Rye, New Hampshire, just days before Trump’s second inauguration. In public interviews, Leavitt has described Riccio as “my greatest supporter, my best friend, and my rock.”
Nicholas Riccio Children
Nicholas Riccio and Karoline Leavitt have two children together. Their first child, a son named Nicholas Robert “Niko” Riccio, was born on July 10, 2024. Leavitt returned to work just four days after his birth.
In December 2025, Leavitt announced on her social media that the couple was expecting a daughter. She described it as “the greatest Christmas gift we could ever ask for.”
Their daughter, Viviana “Vivi” Riccio, was born on May 1, 2026.
Leavitt has frequently credited Riccio as an exceptional father. His support at home during her demanding White House role has been a consistent theme in her public interviews throughout 2025 and 2026.
Nicholas Riccio Net Worth
Nicholas Riccio’s estimated net worth is $6 million as of 2026.
This figure is derived primarily from the value of his real estate holdings in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire, as reported by Realtor.com and multiple financial publications. His portfolio spans over 15 buildings and around 70 rental units.
His income streams include rental revenue from long-term residential units and seasonal income from vacation rental properties through Nautical Beach Properties. Property appreciation in coastal New Hampshire also contributes to the overall value of his portfolio.
Some sources have estimated his net worth as high as $45 million, but the most consistently cited and credible figure based on verified property data is $6 million.
Frequently Asked Questions
What companies does Nicholas Riccio own?
Nicholas Riccio owns Riccio Enterprises LLC and its subsidiary Nautical Beach Properties, both focused on real estate development and rental management in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire.
How old is Nicholas Riccio?
Nicholas Riccio is 60 years old as of June 28, 2026, born in 1965 in Hudson, New Hampshire.
What is Nicholas Riccio’s net worth?
Nicholas Riccio’s estimated net worth is $6 million as of 2026, built through three decades of real estate investment and rental income in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire.
Where did Nicholas Riccio study?
Nicholas Riccio graduated from Plymouth State University in New Hampshire, having attended after graduating from Alvirne High School in Hudson in 1983.
Who is Nicholas Riccio married to?
Nicholas Riccio is married to Karoline Leavitt, who serves as White House Press Secretary under President Donald Trump’s second administration. They married on January 4, 2025.
How did Nicholas Riccio become successful?
He built his fortune by purchasing distressed properties in Hampton Beach, renovating them, and renting them out. His strategy began after completing a real estate course in 1990 and accelerated following a 1993 drive through Hampton Beach with his mother.
The Bottom Line
Nicholas Riccio founded Riccio Enterprises LLC in 2005 and built a portfolio of over 15 buildings across Hampton Beach, New Hampshire, creating an estimated $6 million net worth from a starting point of homelessness.
He grew up in Hudson, New Hampshire, in a working-class family, and slept in his car during his college years at Plymouth State University to afford tuition. His mother, Marilyn, who died of cancer in 1997, directly inspired his investment focus on Hampton Beach.
In May 2026, he and his wife Karoline Leavitt welcomed their daughter Viviana, just over a year after marrying in January 2025.
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