In short
- Bettina Trump, wife of Donald Trump Jr, confirmed that Russian oligarch Umar Kremlev partly funded two nights of the couple’s three-day wedding celebrations in the Bahamas.
- ProPublica reported that Kremlev paid “hundreds of thousands of dollars” towards the celebration, including roughly $70,000 for a fireworks display, and that the second venue rented for about $100,000 a night.
- Umar Kremlev runs the International Boxing Association, an organisation funded by the state-backed Gazprom energy company.
- Donald Trump Jr is a private citizen, so accepting gifts from a foreign national is not illegal for him.
- Jordan Libowitz of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington said the president, a billionaire, or Trump Jr, worth $300 million according to Forbes, could have paid for the wedding.
Bettina Trump, wife of Donald Trump Jr, has confirmed that two nights of the couple’s three-day wedding celebrations in the Bahamas were partly paid for by Umar Kremlev, a Russian oligarch with close ties to President Vladimir Putin. The couple called the funding “an extraordinarily generous wedding gift from a friend”.
The statement was posted on Bettina Trump’s Instagram account and attributed to the couple. It was released on Monday, after the investigative outlet ProPublica reported that Kremlev had paid “hundreds of thousands of dollars” towards the celebration.
What did the couple say?
“Our dear friend Umar very generously hosted two incredible nights of celebrations for us AFTER our wedding. It was an extraordinarily generous wedding gift from a friend, and something for which we were and remain incredibly grateful,” the statement said.
A spokesperson for Donald Trump Jr told ProPublica that the president’s son and Kremlev were personal friends and did not have “a business relationship”.
Who is Umar Kremlev?
Umar Kremlev runs the International Boxing Association (IBA), an organisation funded by the state-backed Gazprom energy company. The Olympic Committee suspended the group in part over its failure to report its ties to the Russian energy giant. Kremlev was part of a delegation that visited China with Putin earlier this year, and Putin awarded him the Order of Friendship, a top state honour, according to ProPublica.
Kremlev’s office told ProPublica that “Mr. Kremlev and Mr. Trump Jr have a friendly relationship”, and said the two men met a few years ago.
How much did the celebrations cost?
According to ProPublica, the couple married on a private island in the Bahamas and then held a two-day celebration on a separate island that rents for approximately $100,000 per night. Kremlev also paid other costs for the party, including a fireworks display costing roughly $70,000, the report found. Kremlev attended part of the wedding, the outlet reported.
Is it illegal for Donald Trump Jr to accept the gift?
Donald Trump Jr is the eldest son of US President Donald Trump and a private citizen, so it is not illegal for him to accept gifts from a foreign national. Ethics watchdog groups said the arrangement nevertheless created the appearance of a conflict of interest for the president’s son, even though he is not a US government employee.
What have ethics watchdogs said?
“People don’t just give hundreds of thousands of dollars to a random acquaintance without wanting something,” said Jordan Libowitz, vice president of communications for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW).
Libowitz also said either the president, a billionaire, or Trump Jr — worth $300 million, according to Forbes — could have paid for the full wedding. “His father is worth billions he could have picked up the tab,” he said.
What is the background to the Russia scrutiny?
The Trump campaign and family faced controversy over potential ties to Russia during the 2016 presidential election, resulting in a special counsel investigation. During that campaign, Donald Trump Jr brokered a meeting at Trump Tower with a Russian operative that was closely scrutinised during the probe. Russia’s military actions abroad have remained in international focus, including a drone strike on a mall in Pavlohrad, Ukraine, that killed five people and wounded 67.
US President Donald Trump has also called AI safety fears a “hoax”, while the AI company Anthropic backed a “kill switch”.
Frequently asked questions
Who paid for Donald Trump Jr’s wedding celebrations?
Bettina Trump said Umar Kremlev, a Russian oligarch who runs the International Boxing Association, hosted and partly funded two nights of the couple’s three-day wedding celebrations in the Bahamas.
Is it illegal for Donald Trump Jr to accept gifts from a foreign national?
No. Donald Trump Jr is a private citizen and not a US government employee, so accepting gifts from a foreign national is not illegal for him. Ethics watchdog groups say it creates the appearance of a conflict of interest.
Who is Umar Kremlev?
Umar Kremlev is a Russian oligarch with close ties to Vladimir Putin. He runs the International Boxing Association, an organisation funded by the state-backed Gazprom energy company.
What did ProPublica report about the wedding payments?
ProPublica reported that Kremlev paid “hundreds of thousands of dollars” for the celebration, including a fireworks display costing about $70,000, and that the island used for the two-day party rents for roughly $100,000 a night.
With reporting from BBC News.
Stock image, not from the events described. Fireworks Background — Travel Photographer / Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)