Russian oligarch says Don Jr. paid him back for wedding celebration expenses
Russian oligarch says Don Jr. paid him back for wedding celebration expenses
JILL COLVIN Tue, October 6, 2026 at 9:52 PM UTC
71
The Russian oligarch who helped finance Donald Trump Jr.'s wedding festivities says the president's eldest son has since reimbursed him (Image: AP)
The Russian oligarch who helped finance Donald Trump Jr.'s wedding festivities says the president's eldest son has since reimbursed him.
"Yes, he did," Umar Kremlev told an International Boxing Association press conference in Istanbul on Tuesday. "He did repay the money I spent on the present." Nevertheless, Kremlev indicated he considered the repayment unnecessary.
"Frankly speaking, I do not understand why he decided to do so," he continued. "There are all kinds of events organized by all kinds of people. It is as if I invite you to come and visit my country house. Would you expect me to issue an invoice to them afterward?" Speaking through an interpreter, he called such a notion "ridiculous."
Last month, ProPublica, a nonprofit investigative outlet, revealed that Kremlev, who maintains close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, "footed the bill for hundreds of thousands of dollars of wedding expenses" when Trump Jr. wed socialite Bettina Anderson in the Bahamas in May.
Iranian mom says twin daughters 'unrecognizable' after torture and death penalty
Afghan girl's heartbreaking UN testimony of life under the Taliban brings room to tears
This included covering the rental costs of one of two private islands where the three-day celebration took place.
In a subsequent post on her Instagram page signed by the couple, Bettina Trump stated that they had been married "surrounded ONLY by our family," while describing Kremlev, who heads the boxing association, as a "dear friend" who "very generously hosted two incredible nights of celebrations for us AFTER our wedding."
Advertisement
President Donald Trump, who was not present at the wedding, had previously defended the arrangement but informed reporters that the funds would be reimbursed.
"It's totally allowed," he said. "But, as I understand it, he paid them back.
DON'T MISS...
Terrifying dictators, no internet, natural disasters - 7 rarely known global catastrophes
Putin's mouthpiece hands out propaganda denying war crimes in Bucha at UN
Anti-Netanyahu protests sweep NYC as diverse groups tell Bibi 'it's over' during UN visit
"That's very common," he added, "I've given wedding parties to numerous people." Kremlev, who recently received the Order of Friendship from Putin, also minimized the matter's importance, describing the celebration as "a shared event" and stating that "people blew it out of proportion.
"I mean, why can't we be friends? We are just friends," he went on. "We are simply friends and what unites us is love for sports." The spotlight on Kremlev intensifies as Russia's conflict with Ukraine continues following its 2022 invasion, and as Trump has yet to deliver on his promised peace agreement between the two nations.
Trump Jr. has faced previous scrutiny regarding his Russian connections. During the 2016 campaign, his Trump Tower meeting with a Russian attorney to discuss potentially incriminating information about his father's then-Democratic opponent became a key component of investigations examining whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia to meddle in the election to help Trump win.
Source: “AOL Breaking”
