Who is Umar Kremlev? The Russian oligarch who helped bankroll Donald Trump Jr’s wedding
Por Maira Butt — – World RSS Feed
Who is Umar Kremlev? The Russian oligarch who helped bankroll Donald Trump Jr’s wedding
The married couple have said that the payments funded an ‘extraordinarily generous wedding gift’
Maira Butt Tuesday 15 September 2026 12:10 BST
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Umar Kremlev, a Russian oligarch linked to President Vladimir Putin, helped bankrolled Donald Trump Jr’s three-day luxury wedding in the Bahamas.
Payments contributed to an elaborate fireworks display and one of the two private islands where a reception was held and guests stayed, according to records reviewed by ProPublica show.
The money reportedly came from an entity tied to the International Boxing Association in Dubai, which is used by the organisation to conduct financial transactions.
The White House directed The Independent to Bettina Anderson’s Instagram caption, hitting out at the backlash to her nuptials to Trump Jr, saying: “Apparently our wedding is making headlines again, so a little clarity seems in order.
“Our dear friend Umar very generously hosted two incredible nights of celebrations for us AFTER our wedding,” she wrote.
“It was an extraordinarily generous wedding gift from a friend, and something for which we were and remain incredibly grateful.”
open image in galleryBelow we look at who Umar Kremlev is and how he came to know the Trumps.
Kremlev was born Umar Lutfuloyev in November 1982 in Serpukhov, Moscow and took up boxing early in his life under the tutelage of Alexei Galeev, trainer to world champions and a recipient of the Honoured Coach of Russia award, an honorary sports title.
But Kremlev left boxing at the age of 19, graduating from the Moscow State Academy of Public Utilities and Construction.
In his 20s he is reported to have been convicted for various crimes including extortion in 2004 and battery in 2007. Shortly after, he changed his name to Kremlev, a more Russian-sounding surname. Following this period he began to frequent the same circles as people close to Putin.
open image in galleryIn 2016 he became the secretary general and president of the Boxing Federation of Russia, with the support of members of the federal security service of Russia, specifically one of its top major generals, Alexey Rubizhny, who went on to become one of his most powerful patrons.
Proekt, an independent Russian media outlet, reported that Kremlev met Alexey Rubizhny at a meeting of the Night Wolves, an ultranationalist biker club and that he is married to Rubizhny’s sister.
In 2020, Kremlev was elected president of the IBA, prompting backlash from some corners of the industry due to his ties to Putin. During his tenure he has moved much of the Association’s operations from Lausanne in Switzerland to Russia.
His decisions have also prompted conflict with the International Olympic Committee, due to the IBA’s only sponsor being Gazprom, a state-owned Russian energy company. Kremlev has said this ended in 2022 but the statement was challenged by IBA’s British chief Chris Roberts in 2024 who maintained that the sponsorship was still in place.
In 2023, the IOC withdrew recognition from the IBA over concerns about its finances and governances. Kremlev hit back and branded CK Wu, a former boxing administrator, a criminal and said he “should be shot”.
open image in galleryIn 2023, the Association suspended Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting on unspecified grounds with Kremlev later stating without providing evidence, that Khelif had failed a gender test.
In September 2025, he hosted Donald Trump Jr to herald the “next era of sport”.
“What Umar is doing – restoring actual fairness, bringing back the purity of boxing, and giving the youth of today a chance to step away from the computer and into the ring – is extraordinary. This is not just about boxing; it’s about life lessons, discipline, integrity and opportunity,” said Trump Jr at the time.
“That’s the legacy we need, and I am proud to call Umar not only a leader but a friend.”
In a statement, Kremlev’s press office told ProPublica: “Mr Kremlev and Mr Trump Jr have a friendly relationship” and they first met “a couple of years ago.”
It added that the IBA chief has “never discussed political matters with any of his American friends and acquaintances,” including Trump Jr.
Kremlev was part of a Russian delegation to China in the weeks before the wedding, according to ProPublica quoting Chinese state media. The IBA chief’s press office denied this and said he was not a part of the “official delegation.”
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Donald Trump JrInternational Boxing AssociationVladimir PutinThe White HouseBahamasWedding
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