Who Is Umar Kremlev? The Russian Businessman With Ties to Putin Who Partly Funded Trump Jr.’s Wedding Celebrations

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) greets the president of the International Boxing Association Umar Kremlev (R) during a meeting with national boxing team at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on April 22, 2026. —Getty Images A Russian businessman with ties to the country’s President Vladimir Putin footed the bill for celebrations following the wedding of President Donald Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr. , Trump Jr. and his wife, Bettina, have confirmed.

Oligarch Umar Kremlev’s contributions to the wedding festivities were first reported by ProPublica , which wrote that the Russian businessman spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to rent out a private island in the Bahamas and a fireworks show.

The outlet reported that the guest list included roughly 50 guests, including family members, close friends, and Kremlev, who according to ProPublica was part of a larger group of Russian guests whose presence was a source of confusion for other attendees.

Trump Jr. and Bettina Trump shared a statement on social media in response to criticism over his financial involvement in the event, defending what she described as an “extraordinarily generous wedding gift from a friend” and denying any political motive behind Kremlev’s attendance.

“Our dear friend Umar very generously hosted two incredible nights of celebrations for us AFTER our wedding,” they wrote in a post on Bettina Trump’s Instagram on Monday in a caption that accompanied a series of photos from the evenings in question showing the couple partying with other guests, performances, and the beach-side venue.

“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.

Friendship doesn’t require a political motive.” The Trumps’ connection to a figure closely tied to the leadership in Russia—and his apparently lavish financial contribution to the wedding celebrations—has however drawn concerns from Democratic politicians and experts in ethics and intelligence, who have raised questions about what might be expected in return for the "gift" and warned that Russian intelligence services may seek to weaponize such a relationship.

Here’s what to know about Kremlev and his ties to Putin and the Trump family.

Who is Umar Kremlev? Kremlev, 43, is a native of Tajikistan.

He was previously known by his surname at birth, Lutfulloyev, which he changed to Kremlev in 2010 when he was in his late twenties, according to the independent Russian news organization Proekt .

Prior to that name change, Kremlev was convicted of extortion in 2004 and battery in 2007.

He went on to join a notorious biker gang, the Night Wolves, not long after changing his name, according to Russian news reports .