The family business · Second term · № 55
Russian businessman close to Putin pays for celebrations at Donald Trump Jr.'s wedding in the Bahamas
“I have no idea who Umar is, never heard of him, and he didn’t pay for Don and Bettina’s wedding, which took place at a totally different location, and on a different day from the wedding. It was an ‘afterparty’ given in their honor. Not a big deal! I was not present at the party”
- Date
- , Statement to NBC News, September 14, 2026
- Subject
- Russia
- Benefit
- Gifts and payments
- Government
- Russia
- Beneficiary
- Donald Trump Jr.
- Amount
- hundreds of thousands of dollars (as reported by ProPublica)
- Topic
- Ethics & conflicts
- Era
- Second term
What happened
ProPublica reported on September 14, 2026 that Umar Kremlev, the Russian head of the International Boxing Association, covered hundreds of thousands of dollars in expenses for Donald Trump Jr.'s wedding weekend in the Bahamas on May 22 to 24, 2026, including the rental of a private island and a fireworks display, paid through a Dubai entity affiliated with the association. It reported that President Vladimir Putin gave Kremlev the Order of Friendship the month before, that the association had been financed by the state-owned Gazprom, and that Ukraine has sanctioned Kremlev citing his closeness to Putin; he is not on public U.S. sanctions lists, and ProPublica said it was unclear whether he acted in coordination with the Russian government. Guests included Eric Trump and Jared Kushner, who was helping lead U.S. negotiations with Russia over Ukraine. Trump Jr. and his wife confirmed that Kremlev "very generously hosted two incredible nights of celebrations" after the ceremony and called it a gift from a friend; his spokesperson said the two have no business relationship. Kremlev's press office said he has never discussed political matters with Trump Jr. Representative Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, opened an investigation and asked Trump Jr. for records.
Sources
- Donald Trump Jr.’s Wedding Bankrolled by Putin-Linked Russian Oligarch
- Lawmaker Opens Probe Into Trump Jr.’s Russian Oligarch-Funded Wedding
- Donald Trump Jr. acknowledges Russian oligarch with ties to Putin hosted his lavish island wedding celebration
- Putin-tied Russian oligarch paid for Trump Jr.'s wedding celebrations
- Russia: Freedom in the World 2026 Country Report