Skip to content
ThreadOut
ProPublica@propublica · Sep 14, 2026

Look at this photo we found from Donald Trump Jr.’s lavish Bahamas wedding. Can you spot the Russian oligarch close to…

13 tweets2 min read♥ 4.3Koriginal

Summary

An investigation reveals that Russian oligarch Umar Kremlev, a Putin-connected figure and head of the International Boxing Association, financed Donald Trump Jr.'s lavish Bahamas wedding by spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on a private island rental and fireworks. The relationship raises counterintelligence concerns about foreign influence on the Trump family, though Trump Jr.'s representatives claim Kremlev is simply a personal friend met through mutual hunting connections.

Summarized by ThreadOut AI from the full thread. May miss nuance — read the thread below.

  1. #1

    Look at this photo we found from Donald Trump Jr.’s lavish Bahamas wedding. Can you spot the Russian oligarch close to Putin who bankrolled the event? 🧵

  2. #2

    2/ That’s him, Umar Kremlev, all the way in the back row. He's the head of the International Boxing Association, a scandal-plagued sports group that has been financed by the Russian state-owned energy giant Gazprom.

  3. #3

    3/ Kremlev spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to rent out a private island and cover other big-ticket items like the fireworks show, according to records and people familiar with the event. The payments came from an entity in Dubai affiliated with his boxing association.

  4. #4

    4/ Trump Jr. and his bride Bettina Anderson had their first dance on the island rented by Kremlev, which can go for around $100,000 a night. The company that put on the Kremlev-funded fireworks display charges around $70,000 for such shows.

  5. #5

    5/ So why did Kremlev invest so much money in Trump Jr.'s wedding? It’s not clear. The men appear to have met only recently. propublica.org/article/donald…

  6. #6

    6/ Kremlev’s previously unreported relationship with Trump Jr. represents an extraordinary development: a member of Putin’s circle financially supporting the president’s son and gaining intimate access to the Trump family.

  7. #7

    7/ “If I’m paying for your wedding, at some point, you’re going to owe me something,” said Frank Montoya Jr., a retired FBI official who held senior counterintelligence roles. “This should be unthinkable for the son of the president. End of story.”

  8. #8

    8/ A spokesman for Trump Jr. did not dispute the wedding payments from Kremlev, calling him a "personal friend of Don.” The rep said there is no "business relationship" between the men and that they met through a mutual friend in the hunting world.

  9. #9

    9/ A spokesperson for Eric Trump, who also attended the wedding, said of Kremlev: “Eric has absolutely no clue who this person is, nor has never heard his name.”

  10. #10

    10/ “Mr. Kremlev and Mr. Trump Jr have a friendly relationship” and first met “a couple of years ago,” Kremlev’s press office said in a statement, adding: “Mr. Kremlev has never discussed political matters with any of his American friends and acquaintances,” including Trump Jr.

  11. #11

    11/ Kremlev’s press office said the boxing organization itself did not incur expenses for the wedding, but did not comment on the payments from the Dubai entity. The White House and the Russian government did not respond to detailed questions.

  12. #12

    12/ Read the full story for more details on the wedding and Kremlev — including his earlier years in a Russian government-backed bike gang called the Night Wolves: propublica.org/article/donald…

  13. #13

    13/ Donald Jr. and Bettina Trump confirmed Umar Kremlev’s role in a post on Bettina's Instagram: “Our dear friend Umar very generously hosted two incredible nights of celebrations for us,” they wrote. “Friendship doesn’t require a political motive.” instagram.com/p/DdRVuhhGxFy/