Richie Akiva is one wild boy.
The former nightclub founder, who was arrested on Wednesday, has a long history of wild parties, star-studded adventures and serious business deals. He also happens to be a good friend of Leonardo DiCaprio.
Read along to learn more about the “Titanic” star’s close pal.
Arrests
The Wednesday arrest isn’t the night club entrepreneur’s first run-in with police. Akiva was arrested in March 2025 after it was discovered that he was driving with a suspended license.
He was taken to New York’s 9th precinct, where he was charged with misdemeanors. A source previously told Page Six he was hit with one count of aggravated unlicensed operation in the second degree, and one count of an equipment violation.
It was reported that his license was suspended because of an old unpaid parking ticket.
Club king
Akiva earned his claim to fame as the founder of iconic NYC hotspots 1Oak and Up & Down.
He was also part of Butter Group — which included an array of restaurants and popular nightclubs — with former business partner Scott Sartiano.
In 2017, it was reported that the mogul had plans to open a rock ‘n’ roll bar titled E. Vil (pronounced “evil”), which stands for East Village.
In June 2022, he launched the exclusive members-only club The Ned alongside Ron Burkle and Soho House founder Nick Jones.
Akiva was attached to the business venture as its “brand and creative director,” bringing in celebs like DiCaprio, Rihanna, Emily Ratajkowski, G-Eazy and “SNL” comic Leslie Jones.
Bad business
It was reported in 2023 that he had a falling out with his former Butter Group business partner, Darren Dzienciol. They now hold rival bashes during May’s Cannes Film Festival.
He was also pushed out of his business arrangement at The Ned by February 2024, allegedly due to some behind-the-scenes money haggling, a source previously told Page Six.
Star-studded nights
Akiva first hit the Hollywood scene as a core member of DiCaprio’s entourage since they were known as the “P–sy Posse” on the ’90s nightlife scene. The entrepreneur eventually became known for his wide network of celebrity pals and wild parties.
In 2013, Akiva made headlines after he hosted a multi-city birthday bash featuring stars Steve Wynn, Diddy, Chris Brown and Miguel, whom he met up with at his 1OAK in Las Vegas where Robin Thicke performed “Blurred Lines.”
He followed it up the following day with a private dinner at the Peninsula Rooftop in New York City hosted by Naomi Campbell. They were allegedly joined by guests Jay Z, Timbaland, Anne V and her beau Matt Harvey.
Thicke later appeared at Akiva’s Paris birthday party in 2017. Additional guests included Lenny Kravitz, Kourtney Kardashian and her then-boyfriend Younes Bendjima, supermodels Jourdan Dunn, Taylor Hill, Joan Smalls and Doutzen Kroes.
In more recent years, Akiva has begun hosting his signature shindigs in St. Barts. In 2021, he hosted a New Year’s Eve party on the popular celebrity hotspot island which, a source told us, was jumping with hundreds of people until the wee hours of the morning.
In 2022, he celebrated the launch of his private social club, Societe, with a star-studded event featuring appearances from Busta Rhymes; Ne-Yo and Gunna Alex Rodriguez; Giancarlo Stanton; NBA players Joakim Noah, Myles Turner, and Oshae Brissett; model Joan Smalls, and “Gossip Girl” cast members Thomas Doherty and Whitney Peak.
Over the years, DiCaprio and Akiva have remained as close as ever, with the actor making several appearances at the mogul’s bashes. In 2024, the “Wolf of Wall Street” star was said to have helped out a drunk man at one of Akiva’s epic parties in the Hamptons.
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