Trump Jr.’s Wedding Reception Sponsored by ‘Putin Ally’ Russian Tycoon

[Financial News] The wedding reception for U.S. President Donald Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., has become controversial after it emerged that expenses were covered by a Russian figure known to be close to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
On the 14th (local time), ProPublica, a U.S. nonprofit investigative news outlet, reported that Umar Kremlev, a Russian tycoon, covered several hundred thousand dollars of the expenses for the three-day reception held after Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding to Bettina Anderson last May.
The wedding and reception were held on a luxurious privately owned island in The Bahamas. ProPublica reported that "Kremlev paid the island’s rental fees and the cost of the fireworks, among other expenses." According to the report, the island can be rented for approximately $100,000 per night (about 135 million won), while the fireworks cost $70,000 (about 95 million won).
Kremlev is a Russian businessman close to President Putin and the president of the International Boxing Association (IBA). The IBA, under his leadership, drew controversy for its overtly pro-Russian moves, including naming Russian state-owned energy company Gazprom as a sponsor, and was eventually expelled from the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Leveraging his ties to President Putin, he won a Russian state lottery contract and also secured control of Russia’s largest automobile dealership company.
The costs of renting the Bahamian island and other expenses for Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding reception were paid by an IBA-affiliated entity in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), that the IBA uses for financial transactions. Several Russians, including Kremlev, were also reportedly present at Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding and reception.
Regarding Kremlev’s payment of the reception expenses, ProPublica criticized the arrangement, saying, "One of Putin’s allies provided financial support to the president’s son and formed a close relationship with the Trump family." It added, "The Russian government under Putin, regarded as one of the United States’ principal adversaries, has been accused of trying to influence U.S. elections over the past decade."
According to ProPublica, national security experts expressed concern and raised the question, "What motivated Kremlev to spend such a vast amount of money to build this relationship?"
Frank Montoya, a former senior counterintelligence official at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), told ProPublica, "If I paid for your wedding, you would have to repay the favor somehow someday." He added, "Donald Trump Jr. put himself in a dangerous position. This should be unthinkable for the president’s son. I have nothing more to say."
Holden Triplett, who served as director of counterintelligence at the White House National Security Council during Trump’s first term, also said, "It is common for Russian intelligence agencies to try to build relationships with U.S. officials and their families." He added, "Money is a proven means of gaining access."
[email protected] Hong Chae-wan Reporter