Some of the festivities for Donald Trump Jr.’s intimate wedding celebration on two private Bahamian islands in May were paid for by a wealthy Russian who does business with the state.
Umar Kremlev is the president of the International Boxing Association, a Switzerland-based sports league financed by Russian state energy giant Gazprom. He recently accompanied Russian President Vladimir Putin on a delegation to China, and he is under Ukrainian sanctions that describe him as a “close friend of the head of Putin’s security service.”
Kremlev hosted two nights of celebrations after Trump Jr.’s wedding ceremony, the bride, Bettina Trump, said on Instagram on Monday.
“It was an extraordinarily generous wedding gift from a friend, and something for which we were and remain incredibly grateful,” she wrote alongside photos from the festivities showing the couple and other Trump family members.
Kremlev’s contribution was first disclosed by the investigative news website ProPublica, which reported that it cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and included event planning, a fireworks show and rental of one of the private islands where guest slept. The payments came from a Dubai entity affiliated with the boxing agency, the website reported, citing records reviewed and interviews with three people.
Bettina Trump denied any sinister or political motive. “Generosity doesn’t automatically come with an agenda,” she wrote on Instagram. “Sometimes a wedding gift is simply a wedding gift.
President Donald Trump did not attend the wedding. “It’s going to be just a small little private affair,” he told reporters at the time. “This is not good timing for me. I have a thing called Iran and other things.”
In response to questions, the White House referred to Bettina Trump’s Instagram post.
Kremlev did not immediately respond to a request for comment through the boxing association. He met Trump Jr. several years ago and speaks limited English, according to ProPublica.
Kremlev has a criminal record under a previous name, The Washington Post reported in 2024. As head of the Russian Boxing Federation, Kremlev awarded Putin a diamond boxing glove, and Putin gave Kremlev a prestigious state honor known as the Order of Merit to the Fatherland. In April, Putin awarded Kremlev another honor, the Order of Friendship.
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