Umar Kremlev, boxing federation chief decorated by Putin, covered costs of post-wedding celebration

Trump Jr. and wife call it 'an incredibly generous wedding gift from a friend'

Trump says he doesn't know who Kremlev is, despite receiving congratulatory letter after election win

Donald Trump Jr. (right), the eldest son of US President Donald Trump, and his wife Bettina Anderson. [AP]
Donald Trump Jr. (right), the eldest son of US President Donald Trump, and his wife Bettina Anderson. [AP]

A Russian businessman with close ties to President Vladimir Putin has been confirmed as the financier behind a post-wedding celebration in the Bahamas for Donald Trump Jr., the eldest son of US President Donald Trump.

Trump Jr. and his wife Bettina Anderson said in a statement posted to Instagram that Russian businessman Umar Kremlev covered the costs of a two-day celebration held on remote islands in the Bahamas following their wedding, according to the Wall Street Journal on Friday (local time).

"It was an incredibly generous wedding gift from a friend, and we were and remain extremely grateful for it," the couple said in the statement.

The statement was accompanied by photos showing Trump's children and friends enjoying the post-wedding festivities.

The couple said the Kremlev-funded weekend trip had already been planned in advance and was not originally organized as a wedding celebration. The arrangement was first reported by the US investigative outlet ProPublica.

President Trump distanced himself from the matter, saying, "I don't know Umar at all. Never heard of him." He drew a distinction between the wedding itself and the subsequent party, shrugging off the episode as "just an after-party to celebrate them — no big deal."

Melania Trump, who attended neither the wedding nor the party, also drew a line. Her spokesperson said the first lady "has no relationship with Kremlev, nor has she ever," adding that she "played no role in planning the wedding events and has no knowledge of how they were funded."

Donald Trump Jr. and his wife Bettina Anderson watch a Freedom 250 UFC event held at the White House in June. [UPI]
Donald Trump Jr. and his wife Bettina Anderson watch a Freedom 250 UFC event held at the White House in June. [UPI]

The Journal reported that guests posed beneath heart-shaped decorations, and one attendee captioned a post "wedding of the century." Photos showed guests dancing under a mirror ball, a white cake topped with bride-and-groom figurines, and Trump Jr. holding his new bride as fireworks burst overhead. One guest told the Journal they overheard a group speaking Russian at the venue but did not know who they were.

Kremlev has been pushing to expand the influence of the International Boxing Association, which he has led since 2020, and is reported to have met with Trump Jr. on multiple occasions since the inauguration. He took up boxing in Serpukhov, a city near Moscow.

Since taking the helm of the IBA, Kremlev has built a profile in the boxing world, though his tenure has drawn controversy — he rebranded the association's name and logo and placed himself at the center of its public events. It was also during this period that he secured a sponsorship deal with Russian state gas company Gazprom, making it the IBA's largest sponsor.

The IBA under Kremlev hosted its first US tournament this summer — a 10-bout "bare-knuckle" event featuring boxing, MMA, kickboxing and bare-knuckle fighting. Influencer Andrew Tate, who was in the United States at the time, had been set to host the event, but was arrested outside the venue by British authorities seeking his extradition on dozens of charges including rape and sex trafficking — one day after he told a promotional event, "See everyone Sunday night, Sept. 20."

Kremlev is subject to sanctions by the Ukrainian government over his alleged ties to the Kremlin. Kyiv has identified him as a conduit for Russian influence.

Shortly after President Trump's inauguration in 2025, Kremlev sent him a congratulatory letter and also asked the International Olympic Committee to "reconsider" its decision to exclude boxing from the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. He has repeatedly spoken out against measures barring Russian athletes from competing under their national flag at international events.

Kremlev has long been regarded as someone who operates in alignment with the interests of the Kremlin and the small circle of politicians, businesspeople and security figures around it.

Umar Kremlev shakes hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin in April, at a ceremony honoring world boxing champions during which Putin awarded Kremlev, chairman of the Russian Boxing Federation's executive committee, the Order of Friendship. [Reuters]
Umar Kremlev shakes hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin in April, at a ceremony honoring world boxing champions during which Putin awarded Kremlev, chairman of the Russian Boxing Federation's executive committee, the Order of Friendship. [Reuters]

Kremlev previously served as president of the Russian Boxing Federation before rising to lead the International Boxing Association in 2020. That same year, Putin invited him to the Kremlin and awarded him the Order for Services to the Fatherland in recognition of his contributions to sport.

Kremlev is also linked to an organization called "Healthy Motherland," which is subject to Ukrainian government sanctions over its alleged involvement in the large-scale abduction and forced deportation of Ukrainian children from Russian-occupied territories.


mokiya@heraldcorp.com