WASHINGTON (Diya TV) — Russian businessman Umar Kremlev paid hundreds of thousands of dollars toward celebrations surrounding Donald Trump Jr.’s May wedding to Bettina Anderson in the Bahamas, according to records and interviews reviewed by ProPublica. The couple has confirmed that Kremlev paid for two nights of events.
Kremlev, president of the International Boxing Association, paid to rent one of the private islands used during the celebration and covered other expenses, including a fireworks display, ProPublica reported. The payments came through an IBA-affiliated entity in Dubai that the organization uses for financial transactions.
Bettina Trump said in an Instagram statement signed by the couple that Kremlev, whom she described as a friend, “very generously hosted two incredible nights of celebrations” after their wedding. She characterized the spending as a wedding gift and rejected suggestions that it was politically motivated.
A spokesperson for Trump Jr. told ProPublica that Kremlev is a personal friend and that the two men do not have a business relationship. The spokesperson said they met through a mutual friend and share interests in hunting, boxing and the outdoors.
Kremlev’s office also confirmed that he and Trump Jr. have a personal relationship, saying they first met several years ago. His office said Kremlev has not discussed politics with Trump Jr. or his other American acquaintances.
Kremlev has ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin awarded him Russia’s Order of Friendship in April, according to the International Boxing Association. Kremlev also traveled to China around the time of Putin’s visit there, though his office said he was not part of Putin’s official delegation.
Ukraine has imposed sanctions on Kremlev, citing his ties to Putin and Russian security services. He does not appear on publicly available U.S. sanctions lists, according to ProPublica.
Kremlev became president of the International Boxing Association in 2020. The organization previously received financial backing from Russian state-owned energy company Gazprom. Kremlev’s office told ProPublica that the sponsorship agreement has since expired.
Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, called for more information about the payments following publication of the report.
President Donald Trump did not attend the Bahamas celebration. Trump Jr. and Anderson legally married in Florida before holding events in the Bahamas.
