Donald Trump Jr’s lavish three-day wedding in the Bahamas was partly financed by a Russian businessman with close ties to President Vladimir Putin, according to a new investigation by ProPublica, an independent, nonprofit newsroom that produces investigative journalism in the public interest.The report singled out Umar Kremlev, the president of the International Boxing Association (IBA), as a sponsor who allegedly paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in wedding expenses, including the rental of one of two private islands used for the celebration, fireworks and other major costs. The payments were made through an IBA-affiliated entity in Dubai that the boxing organisation uses for financial transactions, according to records reviewed by the publication and interviews with people familiar with the wedding.Trump Jr married Bettina Anderson in May at a private-island celebration attended by roughly 50 people. The guest list included members of the Trump family, including Eric Trump, Ivanka Trump’s husband Jared Kushner, and Kremlev himself.Kremlev was part of a larger group of Russian guests who sometimes stood apart from the rest of the wedding party and spoke Russian among themselves, according to ProPublica.
Who is Umar Kremlev ?
Kremlev heads the International Boxing Association, an international boxing body that has maintained close financial ties with Russia’s state-owned energy giant Gazprom.His relationship with Trump Jr also appears to be relatively recent. The IBA itself reported in September 2025 that Kremlev and Trump Jr appeared together at an IBA business forum in Istanbul, describing their meeting as the beginning of a shared relationship around sport and business.Kremlev was also part of the Russian delegation accompanying Putin during his visit to China shortly before Trump Jr’s wedding. In April, Putin awarded Kremlev the Order of Friendship, a Russian state honour.Ukraine has imposed sanctions on Kremlev, citing his links to Putin and Russian security services, according to ProPublica.
Umar is a friend, Trump Jr’s spokesperson said
ProPublica reached out to Trump Jr and a spokesperson said Umar Kremlev is his friend — without denying the funding part. “Umar is a personal friend of Don,” the spokesperson said. The spokesperson said Trump Jr and Kremlev met through a mutual friend in the hunting world and became friends because of their shared interests in boxing and the outdoors. The spokesperson also said Kremlev has no business relationship with Trump Jr.A spokesperson for Eric Trump told ProPublica that he did not know Kremlev and had never heard his name.
