From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, September 15, 2026
Trump’s son confirms Russian businessman paid for post-wedding festivities
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleA Russian businessman with ties to the Kremlin paid for celebrations after the wedding of President Donald Trump’s eldest son and his new bride, the couple confirms.
Donald Trump Jr. and Bettina Trump say in a jointly signed post on Bettina’s Instagram account that their “dear friend” Umar Kremlev “very generously hosted two incredible nights” of festivities in the Bahamas in May.
The confirmation came after the ProPublica investigative website reported that Kremlev footed the bill for hundreds of thousands of dollars for the parties.
“It was an extraordinarily generous wedding gift from a friend, and something for which we were and remain incredibly grateful,” says the post by Bettina and Don Jr.
President Trump did not attend the wedding or the festivities, saying he had to stay in Washington during talks on the Iran war.
Kremlev is head of the International Boxing Association (IBA), with which the International Olympic Committee severed links after repeated warnings over financial governance and ethical concerns.
Bettina Trump defends letting Putin-linked Russian oligarch pay for Don Jr. wedding celebrations: 'Fortunate to have wonderful friends' https://t.co/MhTBbrdVhu pic.twitter.com/44KwD7iqpy
— New York Post (@nypost) September 14, 2026
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