Who is Umar Kremlev, the Russian boxing official who paid for Trump Jr.’s wedding celebrations and has ties to Putin’s inner circle

Umar Kremlev, 43, one of the most influential figures in Russian boxing and head of the International Boxing Association (IBA), has come under public scrutiny after it was revealed that he covered some of the expenses for Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding in the Bahamas.

A ProPublica investigation reports that Kremlev spent hundreds of thousands of dollars, including on renting a private island for several nights and organizing a fireworks display. Trump Jr. and Bettina Trump have acknowledged that he financed and organized two nights of celebrations after the ceremony, describing the contribution as a wedding gift from a friend.

Before taking the name Umar Kremlev, he was known as Umar Lutfuloev. He grew up in Serpukhov, south of Moscow, and began boxing at an early age. However, at 19, he ended his career as an athlete. According to sources cited in the investigation, he subsequently became involved in organizing boxing matches.

His rise to the top of the sport was accompanied by closer ties to circles close to the Russian authorities. Kremlev became associated with the Night Wolves motorcycle club, which is led by Alexander Zaldostanov, known by the nickname “The Surgeon” and for his close relationship with Vladimir Putin.

In 2017, he was appointed head of the Russian Boxing Federation. Three years later, in 2020, Kremlev was elected president of the International Boxing Association of Amateur Boxing, AIBA, which later changed its name to the IBA.

Under his leadership, the IBA deepened its cooperation with Gazprom, Russia’s giant state-owned energy company. Clashes with the International Olympic Committee escalated, and in 2023 the IOC stripped the IBA of its status as the recognized international federation for Olympic boxing.

Kremlev has also become publicly involved in debates over women’s boxing. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, he opposed the IOC’s decision to allow Imane Khelif to compete in the women’s category. On the issue, he also sent a letter to U.S. President Donald Trump.

Kremlev’s connection with Donald Trump Jr. had surfaced earlier at IBA events. The two men were seen together at an event in Istanbul, where Kremlev introduced Trump Jr. as his friend. According to Trump Jr.’s spokesperson, they were introduced by a mutual friend, and their relationship grew stronger through a shared passion for hunting, boxing and outdoor activities.

The funding of a large part of the wedding celebrations also prompted an investigation in the U.S. Congress. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, requested information about the financial relationship and communications between Trump Jr. and Kremlev.

Trump Jr. and his wife have insisted that the payments constituted a generous gift from a friend and that their relationship had no political motive. Kremlev’s office has likewise stated that it was a friendship and that the two first met several years ago.

Donald Trump, for his part, has said that he does not know Kremlev and had never heard of him before. The ProPublica investigation has raised questions about the nature of the relationship between Kremlev and Trump Jr., while those involved continue to portray it as a personal and friendly relationship.