A Russian businessman close to Vladimir Putin paid for Donald Trump Jr.'s island getaway in May, something the couple called "an extraordinarily generous wedding gift from a friend."
Trump Jr. and his wife, Bettina, confirmed the spending on social media after ProPublica reported that Umar Kremlev paid for "hundreds of thousands of dollars of wedding expenses," including renting out one of the private islands in the Bahamas where there was a reception and where guests stayed.
Kremlev is the president of the International Boxing Association, an organization that has been criticized for its ties to the Russian government and has lost much of its standing in international sports. In April, Putin awarded Kremlev the "Order of Friendship," the organization announced.
President Donald Trump previously said he would not attend the May 22 wedding between Trump Jr. and the Palm Beach socialite formerly known as Bettina Anderson. The pair was legally married in a small ceremony in Florida on May 21 before hosting the larger wedding celebration in the Bahamas.
Trump Jr. does not hold an official White House position but is the co-founder of World Liberty Financial, the firm that has made the president hundreds of millions of dollars in cryptocurrency investments since he took office in 2025.
Ivanka Trump and husband Jared Kushner, who has been central to efforts to re-develop Gaza in the aftermath of the war with Israel, posted pictures from the wedding. ProPublica identified Kremlev standing in the back of a group photo with only the very top of his head visible behind the crowd.
The statement from Trump Jr. and Bettina said the weekend in the Bahamas "had actually been planned well in advance as a fun weekend with friends," and emphasized the ceremony on May 22 as the true wedding followed by a celebration that weekend "as newlyweds."
On June 10, Bettina posted a series of Instagram photos of the couple taking vows in a small chapel with the caption: "1 month ago on May 22,2026, on a tiny island, in a tiny chapel, with our family beside us and my father close to my heart, I married my best friend."
"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," they wrote. "Friendship doesn’t require a political motive. Generosity doesn’t automatically come with an agenda. And sometimes a wedding gift is simply a wedding gift."
Trump Jr. met Kremlev as early as September 2025, when the International Boxing Association posted a press release saying the two were joining forces in "a turning point for global sport." The release included a photo of the two of them sitting next to each other during a panel discussion.
Kremlev received Russia's Medal of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland," 2nd Degree, in 2020, according to his official biography. In 2021 and 2022, the International Boxing Association had a substantial sponsorship agreement with a state-backed Russian energy giant, and said the organization used the money to settle old debt and achieve "financial stability."
In 2023, the International Olympic Committee voted to withdraw recognition of the International Boxing Association, citing an internal report that found the boxing organization hadn't addressed "ongoing concerns around its governance, financial transparency and sustainability and the integrity of its refereeing and judging processes."
In the 2025 press release, Trump Jr. is referenced as the executive vice president of the Trump Organization and quoted as saying, "my family has been involved in boxing for many years," and, "I am proud to call Umar not only a leader but a friend."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Putin ally bankrolled Donald Trump Jr.'s wedding weekend in the Bahamas
