Russian tycoon Kremlev says Trump Jr. repaid wedding celebration costs
In short
Umar Kremlev, the Russian head of the International Boxing Association, said Donald Trump Jr. has repaid the money Kremlev spent on post-wedding celebrations for him, speaking at a press conference in Istanbul on Tuesday. Kremlev said he did not understand why the repayment was made. ProPublica reported last month that Kremlev, who has close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, covered hundreds of thousands of dollars of wedding expenses for Trump Jr.'s May wedding in the Bahamas.
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Umar Kremlev, the Russian head of the International Boxing Association, said Donald Trump Jr. has repaid the money Kremlev spent on post-wedding celebrations for him. Speaking at an IBA press conference in Istanbul on Tuesday, Kremlev said: “Yes, he did. He did repay the money I spent on the present.” He added that he did not understand why the repayment was made. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Kremlev said he had not attended the wedding itself but had joined other festivities with mutual friends, according to Bloomberg. He also played down the significance of the payments, describing the celebration as “a shared event” and saying “people blew it out of proportion.” [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
The Associated Press reported that ProPublica, a nonprofit investigative website, said last month that Kremlev, who has close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, “footed the bill for hundreds of thousands of dollars of wedding expenses” when Trump Jr. married socialite Bettina Anderson in the Bahamas in May. That included paying to rent one of two private islands where the three-day party was held. [ 2 , 3 ]
In a post on her Instagram page signed by the couple, Bettina Trump wrote that they had been married “surrounded ONLY by our family,” but that Kremlev, head of the boxing association, was a “dear friend” who “very generously hosted two incredible nights of celebrations for us AFTER our wedding.” [ 2 , 3 ]
President Donald Trump, who did not attend the nuptials, previously defended the arrangement but told reporters the money would be paid back. “It’s totally allowed,” he said. “But, as I understand it, he paid them back.” He added: “That’s very common. I’ve given wedding parties to numerous people.” [ 2 , 3 ]
Kremlev, who was recently honored with the Order of Friendship by Putin, also said the two men are friends. “I mean, why can’t we be friends? We are just friends,” the Associated Press quoted him as saying. [ 2 , 3 ]
Why it matters
The repayment closes a question raised by ProPublica's reporting on who paid for celebrations around the wedding of the US president's eldest son. The documents tie the arrangement to a Russian businessman whom they describe as close to Vladimir Putin, and to a US president who has publicly defended it. The documents give no further detail on what, if anything, follows from the payment.
Key facts
- Umar Kremlev said Donald Trump Jr. repaid the money Kremlev spent on post-wedding celebrations for him. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Kremlev made the statement at an International Boxing Association press conference in Istanbul on Tuesday. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Kremlev said he did not understand why the repayment was made and called it unnecessary. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Kremlev said he had not attended the wedding itself but joined other festivities with mutual friends. [ 1 ]
- ProPublica reported last month that Kremlev, who has close ties to Putin, footed hundreds of thousands of dollars of wedding expenses, including renting one of two private islands where the three-day party was held. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Trump Jr. married Bettina Anderson in the Bahamas in May, and a post on her Instagram page signed by the couple said they had been married surrounded only by family. [ 2 , 3 ]
- President Donald Trump, who did not attend the wedding, previously said the arrangement was “totally allowed” and that the money would be paid back. [ 2 , 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Kremlev said Trump Jr. repaid the money Kremlev spent on the celebrations. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Kremlev made the statement to reporters at an International Boxing Association press conference in Istanbul on Tuesday. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- ProPublica reported last month that Kremlev covered hundreds of thousands of dollars of wedding expenses for Trump Jr.'s wedding to Bettina Anderson in the Bahamas in May. [ 2 , 3 ]
- President Donald Trump previously said the arrangement was allowed and that the money would be paid back. [ 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- The exact amount Kremlev spent and was repaid. The documents give only ProPublica's description of “hundreds of thousands of dollars of wedding expenses,” with no precise figure, and the repayment amount is not stated.
- Whether the repayment occurred as described. The account of repayment comes from Kremlev himself; the documents do not quote Trump Jr. or any other party confirming it independently.
- What Kremlev said in the full closing remarks of his press conference. The Associated Press text carried in documents 2 and 3 is truncated mid-sentence (“We are simply friends and what unites us…”).
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Bloomberg publishes Kremlev's remarks to reporters in Istanbul, including that Trump Jr. paid the money back and that Kremlev had not attended the wedding itself. [ 1 ]
- The Associated Press reports Kremlev's confirmation at the International Boxing Association press conference in Istanbul, along with background on the ProPublica report and earlier statements by President Trump and the couple. [ 2 ]
- PBS NewsHour carries the Associated Press report. [ 3 ]