Kremlev, head of the International Boxing Association, has close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. In September, ProPublica reported that he had paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to fund the Trumps’ lavish wedding celebrations, including renting out the private island and staging a fireworks show.
In an Instagram post, Bettina Trump confirmed that Kremlev had paid for the two-day party, which she characterized as separate from the wedding ceremony.
“Our dear friend Umar very generously hosted two incredible nights of celebrations for us AFTER our wedding,” she wrote in a post on her account signed by her and Trump Jr. “It was an extraordinarily generous wedding gift from a friend, and something for which we were and remain incredibly grateful.”
The ProPublica report raised concerns about a Russian oligarch and Putin ally gaining access to the president’s son, which Bettina Trump dismissed in the post.
“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,” she wrote, adding, “sometimes a wedding gift is simply a wedding gift.”
Editor’s Note: This story was originally published in January 2025. It was most recently updated in September 2026.
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