The wedding of Donald Trump Jr., held on May 24 in the Bahamas, was secretly funded by Umar Kremlev, a Russian oligarch with close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to ProPublica, Kremlev covered hundreds of thousands of dollars in expenses for the three‑day celebration, including the rental of a private island, fireworks and other major costs.
The wedding took place on two private islands. Payments were processed through a Dubai‑based entity linked to the International Boxing Association (IBA), which the organization uses for financial transactions. Umar Kremlev himself leads the IBA, a sports body previously funded by the Russian state‑owned energy giant Gazprom.
Approximately 50 guests attended, including Trump Jr.’s son‑in‑law Jared Kushner and his brother Eric Trump. A sizable group of Russians kept to themselves and spoke Russian. Among the guests was Alexander Lagutin, a businessman who has held leadership positions at a Russian defense contractor and a state energy company, and Elena Sobol, a close associate of Kremlev at the IBA.
Kremlev did not attend the ceremony, which took place on the first day of the celebration and included only 18 guests. According to a Trump Jr. representative, Kremlev paid for the rental of the second private island where the couple’s first dance was held. Renting such an island costs roughly $100,000 per night, and the fireworks company charges about $70,000 per show.
Kremlin ties and security concerns
This previously unknown connection between Kremlev and Trump Jr. has raised concerns among national‑security experts. They stressed that financial support from someone in Putin’s inner circle raises questions about the possible motives behind the gesture.
Former senior FBI official Frank Montoya Jr., who worked in counterintelligence, said oligarchs like Kremlev often act in coordination with the Russian government, though it is unclear whether that was the case here. He warned that funding the wedding could place Trump Jr. in a vulnerable position: “If I pay for your wedding, at some point you will owe me.”
Holden Triplett, who led the counterintelligence directorate at the U.S. National Security Council during Donald Trump’s first term, said Russian intelligence services frequently try to build ties with American officials and their families. He added that money is a proven way to gain access to the right people.
Immediately before the wedding, Umar Kremlev was in China as part of a delegation accompanying Putin, according to Chinese state media. A month earlier, Putin awarded him the Order of Friendship. Ukraine has also imposed personal sanctions on Kremlev, citing his closeness to Putin and Russian security structures.
It remains unclear why Kremlev helped pay for the wedding. Public information shows they met only a few years ago. Forbes estimates Trump Jr.’s net worth at about $300 million, meaning he could likely have covered the costs himself.
A Trump Jr. spokesperson did not deny Kremlev’s payment of wedding expenses. He described Kremlev as “a personal friend of Don’s” but said the two have no business relationship. According to the spokesperson, the men met through a mutual friend in hunting circles and later bonded over a shared interest in boxing and outdoor activities.
Kremlev’s press office also said the two have a friendly relationship and met “a few years ago.” It emphasized that Kremlev has never discussed political issues with his American friends and acquaintances. The office added that the IBA itself did not pay for the wedding expenses, but declined to comment on the payments from the Dubai‑based entity.
A spokesperson for Eric Trump said he does not know Kremlev and has never heard his name. Jared Kushner, who is involved in U.S. negotiations with Russia over Ukraine, did not respond to requests for comment.
Kremlev and the International Boxing Association
Kremlev’s rise in Russian sports accelerated after he grew closer to influential government figures. According to the independent outlet Proekt, he previously used the name Umar Lutfulloyev and had a criminal record for extortion and assault. Kremlev’s press office denies this, claiming he has “an absolutely clean legal history.”
He changed his surname to Kremlev in 2010. Later, media reports say he joined the biker group Night Wolves, linked to the Russian government, eventually attaining a leadership role. This connection, Proekt notes, led him to Alexey Rubezhnoy, who now heads the President’s security service.
In 2017, Kremlev took charge of the Russian Boxing Federation, and in 2020 he became president of the IBA. The organization, which previously oversaw Olympic boxing, was then in a financial crisis and faced corruption allegations. Kremlev secured funding from Gazprom, making the energy giant a major financial partner of the IBA and providing tens of millions of dollars.
Former senior IBA officials have said Kremlev pursues a clear political agenda. One former board member told ProPublica that Kremlev is “driven by Putin” and that sport is being used as a tool of soft power.
Kremlev is also linked to the organization Healthy Fatherland, headed by the twin sister of his 23‑year‑old wife. The group promotes healthy eating and youth sports but is under Ukrainian sanctions for allegedly facilitating the removal of Ukrainian children from occupied territories under the guise of “rehabilitation.”
In 2023, the International Olympic Committee stripped the IBA of its right to organize Olympic boxing, citing governance problems and a lack of transparency about its funding sources, including dependence on a single state‑owned company.
After the decision, Kremlev sharply criticized the IOC and sought support from the Trump administration. Following Donald Trump’s second inauguration in January 2025, Kremlev sent an open letter to the U.S. president urging attention to the IOC’s actions ahead of the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Growing closer to Trump Jr.
In September 2025, the IBA invited Trump Jr. to a boxing panel in Istanbul. Alongside Kremlev, boxer Manny Pacquiao and Rasheda Ali (daughter of Muhammad Ali) discussed, among other topics, the participation of transgender women in women’s sports.
After the event, the IBA issued a press release stating, “this alliance will not remain symbolic” and that “new joint initiatives will follow.”
Trump Jr. also had reason to be aware of the sensitivity surrounding these issues, given his recent public statements on related matters.
