Karoline Leavitt net worth is estimated at about $1 million to $3 million in 2026. The former White House press secretary built it in only a few years, mostly through political jobs, campaign and media work, and her roughly $195,000 White House salary. Since leaving the White House at the end of August 2026, she has added new income as a Fox News contributor.
Key Takeaways
- Karoline Leavitt is worth an estimated $1 million to $3 million in 2026, not counting her husband’s separate real estate business.
- As White House press secretary from January 2025 to August 2026, she earned about $195,000 a year.
- She became a Fox News contributor on November 1, 2026, after leaving the White House.
- Her husband, New Hampshire real estate developer Nicholas Riccio, has his own fortune, estimated at around $6 million.
| Full name | Karoline Claire Leavitt |
|---|---|
| Born / Age | August 24, 1997, Atkinson, New Hampshire (29 years old) |
| Profession | Political spokesperson, media commentator |
| Known for | Youngest White House press secretary in US history (2025 to 2026) |
| Estimated net worth (2026) | About $1 million to $3 million |
| Main income sources | Government salary, campaign and PAC work, media contributor roles |
What is Karoline Leavitt’s net worth in 2026?
Leavitt is worth an estimated $1 million to $3 million in late 2026. For someone who turned 29 in August 2026, that is a fast climb. New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani, only six years older, is worth an estimated $200,000. Only a few years ago, she was a recent college graduate answering letters to the president.
The range is wide for two reasons. First, her financial disclosure forms list assets and income in broad value bands, not exact amounts. Second, much of her household’s wealth belongs to her husband’s real estate business, which is separate from her own money and hard to value from public records.
If you count the household as a whole, the figure is higher. Her husband, Nicholas Riccio, built a property business in New Hampshire long before they met, and his own net worth has been estimated at around $6 million.
How did Karoline Leavitt make her money?
Leavitt has earned almost all of her income from politics and political media. She has never run a business of her own on a large scale. Her main income sources have been:
- Government jobs: Staff roles in the first Trump White House, then the press secretary job in the second.
- Congressional staff work: A role as communications director for New York representative Elise Stefanik.
- Campaign and PAC work: Spokesperson roles for MAGA Inc., Donald Trump’s super PAC, and the national press secretary job for Trump’s 2024 campaign.
- Media: Paid commentary and contributor work, now including Fox News.
Each step paid more than the last. Her early White House jobs were entry-level posts. By 2024, she was the main voice of a presidential campaign, and by 2025 she held one of the most visible jobs in American politics.
How did Karoline Leavitt start her career?
Leavitt grew up in Atkinson, New Hampshire, the youngest of three children. Her family owned an ice cream stand in Atkinson, and her father owned a used truck dealership in nearby Plaistow.
She went to Saint Anselm College in Goffstown, New Hampshire, on a softball scholarship. She majored in communications with a minor in political science, wrote for the student paper and founded the school’s broadcasting club. She graduated in 2019 as the first person in her immediate family to finish college.
Her early career moved quickly:
- 2019: She took a full-time job in the White House Office of Presidential Correspondence, which answers letters sent to the president.
- June 2020: She became associate director of that office and, that same month, an assistant White House press secretary.
- January 2021: She became communications director for Representative Elise Stefanik.
- July 2021: She announced a run for Congress in New Hampshire’s 1st District.
What happened in her run for Congress?
Leavitt ran for the US House in New Hampshire’s 1st District in 2022. She won the Republican primary in September 2022 at age 25, then lost the general election to Democratic incumbent Chris Pappas.
The campaign did not make her money. Candidates cannot pay themselves from campaign funds. Her husband helped fund the campaign, and the race left her old campaign committee with debts.
Those campaign finances later drew attention. In 2022, the group End Citizens United filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission about donations above legal limits. In January 2025, her old campaign filed 17 amended reports that listed $326,370 in campaign debts, including about $200,000 in contributions above the legal limits that had not been refunded. These are debts of the campaign committee, not personal debts on her own balance sheet.
How much did Karoline Leavitt earn as press secretary?
As White House press secretary, Leavitt earned about $195,000 a year, in line with the top pay level for senior White House staff. She held the job from the first day of Trump’s second term in January 2025 until the end of August 2026.
That works out to roughly $320,000 in total pay before taxes over about 20 months. It was the biggest salary of her career so far, though small next to what top TV hosts and political consultants earn.
When she joined the administration, she filed a public financial disclosure report, the OGE Form 278e that all senior officials file. Our guide on how politicians disclose their wealth explains how these forms work and why they show ranges instead of exact numbers.
She made history in the role. At 27, she became the youngest White House press secretary ever and the first member of Generation Z to hold the post. She gave her first briefing on January 28, 2025.
Why did Karoline Leavitt leave the White House?
In August 2026, Trump announced that Leavitt would leave the press secretary job at the end of that month to spend more time with her family. He said she would stay on as one of his outside advisors. Her daughter was born in May 2026, and she also has a son born in July 2024.
She quickly moved into new paid roles. In August 2026, she took a position with MAGA Inc. Then, in October 2026, Fox News announced that she would join the network as a contributor starting November 1, providing commentary across its programs. You can read the details in CBS News coverage of her Fox News move.
Contributor deals are private, so her Fox News pay is not public. Former press secretaries often earn more in media, books and speaking than they did in government, which is why Karoline Leavitt net worth is likely to grow faster after the White House than during it.
What does her husband Nicholas Riccio do?
Nicholas Riccio is a real estate developer from New Hampshire. He is 32 years older than Leavitt. They met in 2022 during her congressional campaign, got engaged in December 2023 and married in January 2025, days before Trump’s second inauguration.
Riccio built his property business over decades, before the two met. Leavitt has said his success lets him fully support her career. His real estate holdings are his own, and they are not part of her personal net worth, though they do make the household far wealthier than her salary alone would suggest.
What could grow her net worth next?
Leavitt is at an early stage of her earning life, and several paths could lift her income in the next few years:
- Television: A contributor role can lead to a regular hosting slot, which usually pays far more than a guest commentary deal.
- Books: Many former press secretaries write memoirs about their time at the podium, and those deals can bring large advances.
- Speaking: Former senior White House staff are in demand at conservative events, colleges and business groups.
- Political work: Her role with MAGA Inc. and her ties to Trump keep her close to well-funded campaigns and PACs.
None of these deals are public yet, so they are not part of her current estimate. But they explain why her figure could change a lot in a short time, much faster than for a typical person her age.
How does she compare with other press secretaries?
Here is a quick look at how her finances line up:
| Item | Karoline Leavitt |
|---|---|
| Estimated net worth (2026) | About $1 million to $3 million |
| White House salary | About $195,000 a year |
| Time as press secretary | January 2025 to August 2026 |
| Current roles | Fox News contributor, MAGA Inc. role |
| Spouse’s business | New Hampshire real estate |
Past press secretaries have often moved to cable news after leaving the podium. Several have built multimillion-dollar careers as hosts and authors. Fox News in particular has paid its biggest stars very large sums, as the careers of Tucker Carlson and Bill O’Reilly show. Leavitt is just starting that path.
For more on how public figures in politics and media build their wealth, see our politicians section, our news and commentators profiles, and the billionaire net worth homepage.
Conclusion
Karoline Leavitt net worth is estimated at about $1 million to $3 million in 2026. She earned it through fast-moving political jobs, campaign and PAC work, and about $195,000 a year as White House press secretary from January 2025 to August 2026. Her household is wealthier thanks to her husband’s separate real estate business. With a new Fox News contributor role since November 2026, her income is likely to keep rising.
Frequently asked questions
How much is Karoline Leavitt worth?
Karoline Leavitt is worth an estimated $1 million to $3 million in 2026. Her money comes from political jobs, campaign work, her White House salary and media work. Her husband’s real estate fortune is separate and not included in that figure.
How much did Karoline Leavitt make as press secretary?
She earned about $195,000 a year as White House press secretary. She held the job from January 2025 until the end of August 2026, which adds up to roughly $320,000 in pay before taxes.
Is Karoline Leavitt still the White House press secretary?
No. She left the job at the end of August 2026 to spend more time with her family. She later took a role with MAGA Inc. and became a Fox News contributor on November 1, 2026.
Who is Karoline Leavitt’s husband?
Her husband is Nicholas Riccio, a New Hampshire real estate developer who is 32 years older than her. They married in January 2025 and have two children, a son born in July 2024 and a daughter born in May 2026.
How old is Karoline Leavitt?
Karoline Leavitt was born on August 24, 1997, in Atkinson, New Hampshire, so she is 29 years old. She was 27 when she became the youngest White House press secretary in US history.
