Yes, he did it again
Rupert Murdoch decided it was time to give up control of his media empire at the age of 92, but it seems he believes age is no barrier to new love or marriage.
On Thursday, Mr. Murdoch’s office said he planned to marry his girlfriend, Elena Zhukova, 67, a retired molecular biologist whom he started dating over the summer.
The wedding, scheduled for June, would mark the culmination of a topsy-turvy romantic journey toward a fifth marriage for Mr. Murdoch, whose personal dramas have often made him a centerpiece of the gossip industry he helped create.
After divorcing Jerry Hall, the model and ex-wife of Mick Jagger, in the summer of 2022, he became engaged to Ann Lesley Smith, a retired dental hygienist, in the spring of 2023. after about two weeks.
He met Ms. Zhukova through his third wife, Wendi Deng, The Daily Mail reports this in August, when news of the relationship was announced.
Ms. Zhukova distinguished herself as a molecular biologist who studied diabetes, including at the University of California, Los Angeles. But she also has an intriguing lineage.
After coming to the United States from Moscow near the end of the Soviet Union, her ex-husband, Alexander Zhukov, became a billionaire energy investor (he now lives in London as a British citizen).
Her daughter, Dasha Zhukova, is a prominent philanthropist, entrepreneur and arts patron who was married to Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich until 2017.
A representative for Mr. Murdoch confirmed that invitations for the wedding have already been sent out; The event will take place at Mr Murdoch’s Californian vineyard and estate, Moraga.
Moraga was where Mr. Murdoch made a deal with Bob Iger to sell much of his media empire, his movie studios and cable networks, to Disney. That deal looks particularly sharp this year as the industry continues to be rocked by the move toward streaming.
Mr Murdoch announced last year that he would retire as head of his company, retaining an emeritus role while his son Lachlan took over the reins more fully.
Mr Murdoch’s marriage is unlikely to affect the future of the company, which is held in a trust whose shares belong to him and his four eldest children – one with his first wife, Patricia Booker, the other three with his second wife, Anna. Murdoch Mann.