Russian oligarch partly funded Trump Jr.'s Bahamas wedding
IBA president Umar Kremlev covered hundreds of thousands of dollars in costs for Donald Trump Jr.'s wedding in the Bahamas, ProPublica reports, with a Trump Jr. representative confirming he is a personal friend of the groom.
Umar Kremlev, the Russian boxing official who has led the International Boxing Association (IBA) since 2020, partly financed Donald Trump Jr.'s wedding held in the Bahamas this past May, according to ProPublica, which cites documents and three informed sources.
Costs covered
Investigators found that Kremlev paid for the rental of the island where the ceremony took place — roughly $100,000 per night — as well as a $70,000 fireworks display and other event-related expenses. The payments were routed through a Dubai-registered company linked to the IBA. ProPublica notes that Trump Jr., whose wealth Forbes estimates at $300 million, could easily have covered these costs himself.
Russian-speaking guests
Trump Jr. previously said the wedding included only about 50 close friends. However, ProPublica reports that the guest list featured a sizable group of Russian-speaking attendees whose presence surprised other guests. Kremlev, who has limited English skills, was among them. Meanwhile, some of Trump Jr.'s longtime friends reportedly did not receive invitations. President Donald Trump did not attend the wedding.
Reactions
A representative for Trump Jr. did not deny that Kremlev partly paid for the wedding, describing the Russian oligarch as the groom's personal friend, saying the two share a love of boxing and outdoor recreation. Kremlev's press office stated that the IBA itself did not cover wedding costs, but declined to comment on the payments from the Dubai-registered entity.
According to Russian outlet Projekt, Kremlev used the surname Lutfullojev until 2010, and before changing it had two prior convictions for extortion and assault. Under his leadership since 2020, the IBA has received tens of millions of dollars from Gazprom. In 2023, the International Olympic Committee stripped the IBA of the right to organize Olympic boxing tournaments, citing among other issues a lack of financial transparency.
