Umar Kremlev, a Russian businessman with close ties to the Kremlin and president of the International Boxing Association, spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on part of Donald Trump Jr.’s and Bettina Anderson’s wedding celebrations in the Bahamas, according to ProPublica. A spokesperson for the US president’s son did not deny the payments and described Kremlev as a personal friend of Trump Jr.
Briefly about the main points
- Kremlev funded part of the three-day celebrations in the Bahamas.
- He paid for the island for the guests, the fireworks and other major expenses.
- According to journalists, the payments were made via an entity linked to IBA.
- Around 50 people took part in the events, including a group of Russians.
- Experts have highlighted the risks of such influence, but there is no evidence of a link to the secret services.
An island, fireworks and payments via Dubai
Investigation ProPublica, published on 14 September, is based on financial documents and interviews with people familiar with the organisation of the event. The three-day celebration took place on two exclusive private islands.
Pros. data publication, Umar Kremlev He paid the rent for one of the islands, where the reception was held and the guests stayed. His team also helped organise the event, and the expenses he covered included a fireworks display.
Renting one such island could cost around 100,000 dollars per night, whilst the company organising the fireworks charges approximately 70,000 dollars for a show of this kind. ProPublica claims that the money was channelled through an IBA-linked entity in Dubai.
There was a group of Russian guests at the celebration
Kremlev did not attend the small wedding ceremony on the first day, where, according to a spokesperson Trump Jr., 18 guests gathered. He later joined in the celebrations, during which In total, around 50 people took part.
Among those invited were Eric Trump, Jared Kushner and other family members. A group of Russians was on the island with Kremlev, including Oleksandr Lagutin, who previously held senior positions in the Russian defence sector and at a state-owned energy company, as well as a representative of IBA Olena Sobol.
One of ProPublica’s sources said that the large number of Russian guests had surprised some of those present. After the event, the family posted dozens of photos and videos, but the Russians were hardly visible in any of them.
The parties described their relationship as friendly
A spokesperson for Trump Jr. stated that there is no business relationship between him and the Kremlin. According to him, they met through a mutual acquaintance and became close due to their shared interest in hunting, boxing and outdoor activities.
The Kremlin press office confirmed that the men have known each other for several years, and stated that the businessman had not discussed political matters with either Trump Jr or any of his other American acquaintances.
Kremlev heads the International Boxing Association and has close ties with the Russian authorities. In 2026, Vladimir Putin awarded him the Order of Friendship; In Ukraine, the businessman is subject to sanctions.
Counter-intelligence officers highlighted the potential risks of such influence
Former US counter-intelligence officials interviewed by ProPublica stated that expensive personal gifts to the relatives of high-ranking officials could create a dependency or provide access to influential figures.
A former senior FBI official Frank Montoya Jr. raised the question of the motives of a person who agrees to cover substantial private expenses. The former director of counter-intelligence at the US National Security Council Holden Triplett noted that Russian security services may traditionally also seek contacts through the family members of officials, and that financial support may serve as a means of gaining access.
At the same time, ProPublica does not provide any evidence that Kremlev was acting on the instructions of the Russian security services or the Kremlin. The investigation does not establish the motives behind the funding of the wedding expenses.
