You’ve probably seen the name pop up in headlines next to tech giants or reality TV stars, but Nikita Kahn is a lot more than just a red-carpet fixture. Honestly, it’s easy to get lost in the "billionaire’s girlfriend" narrative that the tabloids love. But if you actually dig into what she’s been doing for the last decade, you find a pretty intense mix of high-end interior design, gritty animal rights activism, and a steady climb in the film industry.
She wasn't born into the Hollywood scene. She was born Iryna Osipova in Ukraine back in 1991. Before she ever touched a movie set or a construction site in Malibu, she was hitting the books in Kyiv. She grabbed a bachelor’s degree in hospitality tourism and an MBA from the Kyiv National University of Trade and Economics. That business background is kinda the secret sauce for how she’s managed to run multiple ventures later on. She didn't just move to the U.S. and hope for the best; she arrived in 2009 and immediately pivot to architecture and design, eventually earning a degree from UCLA.
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Why Everyone Is Talking About Nikita Kahn Right Now
Most people recognize her because of her long-term relationship with Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison. They were together for a huge chunk of time—starting around 2010. Some reports even suggest they were married in 2015 and divorced by 2020, though the details of billionaire domestic life are always a bit murky. Ellison even named a restaurant after her: Nikita Malibu. It was this hyper-luxurious Mediterranean spot right on the water, though it eventually morphed into a different concept.
But lately, the buzz has shifted. In 2024 and 2025, she’s been spotted with Mauricio Umansky, the real estate mogul from Buying Beverly Hills. Seeing two major players in the California luxury real estate world together makes sense, but it definitely kept her name in the Google Discover feed for months.
More Than Just a Famous Face
If you look past the dating history, Kahn’s professional life is actually quite dense. She’s the CEO of Solagio, her own interior design studio. Her style is basically "quiet luxury" before that was even a TikTok trend—think neutral palettes, organic textures, and a lot of mid-century modern pieces that feel expensive but livable. She’s done work on massive villas in Malibu, and her designs have ended up in Miami Living and other high-end shelter mags.
Then there’s the acting. It’s not just a hobby.
- She had a role alongside Bruce Willis in the 2011 flick Catch .44.
- More recently, she’s been in Crescent City with Alec Baldwin and Terrence Howard.
- She’s a producer too, specifically as an Executive Producer on the documentary The Last Animals.
That documentary is where her real passion shows up. She’s not just "interested" in animals; she’s deeply involved. She sits on the board of the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA and has been a massive supporter of the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. In fact, they opened the Nikita Kahn Rhino Rescue Center in 2016. That place is legitimate—it's dedicated to saving the northern white rhino from total extinction using some pretty advanced reproductive technology.
The Activism Angle
Kahn has been pretty vocal about the fact that she grew up around animals on her grandmother’s farm in Ukraine. Geese, chickens, dogs—the whole bit. That seems to be where the drive for The Last Animals came from. The film is a tough watch; it’s about the poaching of elephants and rhinos and the rangers who die trying to protect them. She’s used her platform to push for better laws against the ivory trade, showing she’s willing to get her hands dirty with policy and conservation rather than just attending gala dinners.
What Most People Get Wrong
The biggest misconception is that she’s just a "model." While she’s definitely modeled for InStyle and HOLA!, the "model" label ignores the MBA and the architectural training. She’s a tactical driver (literally, she took stunt driving courses at Scotty’s Stunt and Tactical Driving School) and a scuba diver. She’s a bit of a polymath who happens to be very photogenic.
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Turning Influence Into Actionable Change
If you're looking at Nikita Kahn's trajectory as a blueprint for your own career or philanthropy, there are a few real-world takeaways here.
First, diversify your skill set. She didn't rely on her MBA alone; she went back to school for the specific technical skills needed for interior design. If you're looking to break into a new industry, formal training combined with a business degree is a powerful combo.
Second, leverage your network for a cause. Whether she was with Ellison or Umansky, she consistently channeled that visibility into the Rhino Rescue Center. If you have any kind of platform, picking one specific, tangible cause—like she did with the San Diego Zoo—creates a much larger impact than spreading yourself thin across twenty different charities.
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Lastly, don't be afraid of the pivot. Moving from hospitality in Ukraine to stunt driving and real estate in Los Angeles is a massive leap. It shows that your "starting" point doesn't have to define your career arc. If you're looking to get involved in animal conservation or luxury design, starting with a localized board position (like the SPCA) is the most effective first step to gaining actual industry influence.
To stay updated on her design projects or conservation work, following the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance updates on the Rhino Rescue Center provides the most concrete info on the actual results of her philanthropic efforts.