92-year-old billionaire Rupert Murdoch to marry retired scientist Elena Zhukova
Media mogul Rupert Murdoch is set to marry Elena Zhukova after getting engaged to her recently. The wedding—Murdoch's fifth—will take place at his opulent Californian vineyard and estate, Moraga, with guests already receiving their invites. The couple first crossed paths at a family event hosted by the 92-year-old billionaire's third former wife, Wendi Deng. The announcement comes merely four months after Murdoch called off his brief engagement to conservative radio personality Ann Lesley Smith.
Why does this story matter?
Murdoch, with a reported net worth of US$8.96 billion, has consistently sparked public interest. The Australian-born American businessman was married four times in the past to former supermodel Jerry Hall, Wendi Deng, Anna Murdoch Mann, and Patricia Booker. He has six children. While his son from his second wife, Lachlan Murdoch, has been officially anointed as his heir apparent, there could be some changes as he ties the knot to Zhukova.
Who is Zhukova?
Hailing from Russia, Elena Zhukova is a 67-year-old retired molecular biologist who specializes in diabetes. She was previously married to a Russian-born British billionaire in the energy sector, Alexander Zhukov. Elena has a daughter, Dasha Zhukova, a Russian-American art aficionado and philanthropist. Interestingly, Dasha was married to Russian oligarch and President Vladimir Putin's close ally, Roman Abramovich, until 2017.
Murdoch's media empire recently faced a defamation suit
In 2023, Murdoch's media empire faced challenges such as a $787.5 million settlement between Fox News and Dominion Voting Systems over false claims of election fraud. Murdoch relinquished control of his media conglomerate five months ago, after having built it up from his father's newspaper venture. His publicly held company, News Corp, owns a variety of digital news platforms like the Wall Street Journal, Fox News, Sky News Australia, and book publisher HarperCollins.
Murdoch had announced 'final union' with ex-fiancé
Exactly a year ago, while in a relationship with Smith, Murdoch expressed that this would mark his final union. "I was very nervous. I dreaded falling in love - but I knew this would be my last." he had told The New York Post. Nonetheless, the couple's engagement lasted only two weeks. Sources close to Murdoch disclosed that, although the exact cause of the split remained uncertain, it could potentially be attributed to Murdoch's unease with Smith's evangelical views.
