Russian oligarch Umar Kremlev funded Donald Trump Jr.'s Bahamas wedding, ProPublica reports

Details of the Bahamas ceremony

Umar Kremlev, a 43-year-old Russian oligarch and president of the International Boxing Association, financed substantial portions of Donald Trump Jr.'s wedding on May 24, 2026. The three-day luxury celebration with model and socialite Bettina Anderson took place across two private islands in the Bahamas. Vows were exchanged on an island previously featured in film productions including Casino Royale and Pirates of the Caribbean. A second island, which rents for 100,000 euros per night, hosted the reception, a five-tier wedding cake, a 70,000-euro fireworks display, and seaside villa accommodations for the attendees. Guests arrived at the venue via private aircraft, helicopters, and seaplanes, with Anderson later writing on Instagram that the event was everything they had dreamed of.

Funding channels and attendees

Financial records reviewed by investigative outlet ProPublica indicate that payments for the event flowed through an entity based in Dubai affiliated with the International Boxing Association (IBA). The IBA previously received financial backing from Russian state-owned energy company Gazprom and was stripped of its role in administering Olympic boxing tournaments due to governance and financial transparency issues. Approximately 50 guests attended the ceremony, including Ivanka Trump, Eric Trump, and Jared Kushner, who was working as a US negotiator attempting to mediate the war between Russia and Ukraine. US President Donald Trump did not attend, attributing his absence to a crowded schedule and the conflict with Iran. Several Russian nationals attended the private gathering, including Aleksandr Lagutin, a former executive at Russian defense and energy enterprises.

It was really small, just really close friends.

Kremlev's Kremlin standing and state ties

Kremlev, born Umar Lutfulloyev, previously belonged to the Night Wolves motorcycle club before building wealth through state-granted monopolies in online gambling and Russian state lotteries. He expanded his business holdings into construction, taxis, catering, and automotive retail after being appointed head of the nationalized Rolf dealership network. Kremlev maintains close ties to Alexei Rubezhnoy, head of the Presidential Security Service and deputy head of the Federal Protection Service. Kremlev faces personal sanctions from Ukraine, and he is linked to the Healthy Fatherland organization, which is sanctioned for involvement in the transfer of children from occupied Ukrainian territory. In April 2026, Russian President Vladimir Putin awarded Kremlev the state Order of Friendship, and Kremlev accompanied Putin on an official state visit to China shortly before the Bahamas wedding.

Scrutiny and official responses

A spokesperson for Donald Trump Jr., whose personal fortune is estimated at approximately 260 million euros, did not dispute the financial support. The spokesperson stated that Kremlev is a personal friend met through hunting circles and connected by a mutual interest in boxing and the outdoors. Representatives for both men emphasized that they share no commercial or business ties, and Kremlev's office stated that he never discusses political issues with American acquaintances. A spokesperson for Eric Trump separately stated that he did not know Kremlev. Former FBI counterintelligence official Frank Montoya Jr. expressed concern regarding financial links between presidential family members and figures connected to the Russian government.

If I'm the one paying for your wedding, at some point you're going to owe me something.