Former White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s family investments while she worked with Donald Trump included stock in the president’s social media company.
An ethics document reviewed by The Washington Sun revealed that Leavitt disclosed an investment of between $1,001 and $15,000 in Trump Media & Technology Group, which operates Trump’s Truth Social platform.
There was also a larger investment of between $50,001 and $100,000 in Tesla, the electric car company owned by Trump’s on-again, off-again ally Elon Musk. Last March, Trump turned the White House lawn into a Tesla showroom and urged Americans to buy Musk’s electric vehicles as the company’s stock plummeted amid backlash over Musk’s role at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
The document shows investments for both Leavitt, 29, and her 61-year-old husband, Nicholas Riccio, without specifying whether they jointly or individually owned the stocks. The White House said Leavitt’s husband owns the stock.
“Our office regularly works with appointees to provide ethics guidance and help ensure compliance with applicable federal ethics laws and regulations,” White House counsel Will Scharf told The Washington Sun.
“In this case, we believe Karoline Leavitt complied with those requirements and have no further concerns.”
The ethics document also shows that Leavitt’s family investments included stock in oil companies such as ExxonMobil and Occidental Petroleum, as well as tech company Nvidia and steelmaker United States Steel. The documents show Leavitt’s family investments through Dec. 31, 2025.
Federal law prohibits executive branch employees from participating in an “official capacity” in matters in which they have a “personal financial interest.” However, there are exemptions for investments with a “de minimis” value of $15,000 or less.
High-ranking presidential administration members must also file personal financial disclosures to ensure there are no conflicts of interest while they work in government. The disclosures must also include financial information about their families, such as spouses or children.
Leavitt did not sign a formal ethics agreement outlining how she would avoid financial conflicts of interest while working as Trump’s top spokesperson, as White House staffers are generally exempt from doing so, The Washington Sun reported.
Leavitt left her White House role at the end of August to spend more time with her family following the birth of her second child in May.
She has since returned to work on the president’s MAGA Inc. super PAC, where she previously served as a spokesperson before joining Trump’s 2024 campaign.
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House and Karoline Leavitt’s office for comment.
