A Kremlin mystery? Putin-linked Russian businessman paid for Trump Jr's post-wedding bash

A Russian businessman with ties to the Kremlin paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for celebrations following the wedding of US President Donald Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., and his new wife, Bettina Trump, in the Bahamas in May, the couple confirmed on Monday.

In a jointly signed post on Bettina Trump's Instagram account, the newlyweds said Umar Kremlev, their "dear friend", had "very generously hosted two incredible nights" of festivities. The confirmation followed a report by investigative website ProPublica that Kremlev had covered the cost of the parties.

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"It was an extraordinarily generous wedding gift from a friend, and something for which we were and remain incredibly grateful," the couple said in the post.

The disclosure has drawn attention to Kremlev's connections to Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin, as well as his role in international boxing. It also comes as the Trump family continues to face scrutiny over its relationships with Russian figures.

Who is Umar Kremlev and what are his Putin ties?

Kremlev heads the International Boxing Association (IBA), an organisation from which the International Olympic Committee severed links after repeated warnings over financial governance and ethical concerns.

Putin presented Kremlev with the "Order of Friendship" award in April 2026, according to an IBA press release that included a photograph of the Russian president shaking hands with him.

"During the ceremony, the Russian President praised the IBA's resilience in supporting athletes despite political pressures," the IBA statement said.

The IBA website also featured photographs of Donald Trump Jr. on stage with Kremlev at an event in Istanbul in September 2025.

According to Russian investigative media outlet Proekt, Kremlev is a Tajik native who worked as a mid-level boxing promoter before cultivating links with Russia's Federal Protective Service, or FSO, which is responsible for protecting senior Russian officials.

Proekt also reported that Kremlev is a member of the pro-Kremlin Night Wolves biker club. Members of the group rode en masse to Ukraine's Crimea peninsula shortly after Russia annexed it in March 2014, and some have fought alongside pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.

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What did the Trump family say about the celebrations?

Bettina Trump's Instagram post included 20 photographs, among them images of the newlyweds on a beach and President Trump's other children, Eric Trump, Ivanka Trump and Tiffany Trump.

"It's unfortunate that something so personal and happy can be recast as something political or sinister simply because of who someone is or where they come from," the post added.

President Trump did not attend the wedding or the subsequent festivities. He said he had to remain in Washington during talks on the Iran war.

ProPublica also published a group photograph from the wedding that it said showed the top of Kremlev's head.

The couple's confirmation provides a direct account of Kremlev's financial role in the celebrations, while his reported links to Putin and the Kremlin have placed the wedding festivities in a wider political context.

(With inputs from AFP)