Media tycoon Rupert Murdoch marries for the fifth time
Rupert Murdoch, the media mogul, entered matrimony for the fifth time in a ceremony held at his Californian vineyard. The 93-year-old tycoon exchanged vows with Elena Zhukova, a 67-year-old retired Russian biologist, on Saturday.
Reports of Murdoch’s relationship with Zhukova surfaced shortly after his engagement to Ann Lesley Smith, a former police chaplain, was abruptly terminated in April 2023.
Murdoch, originally from Australia and father to six children, holds the position of chairman emeritus at News Corporation, the conglomerate that encompasses Fox News, the Wall Street Journal, the Sun, and the Times.
Having relinquished his chairmanship of Fox and News Corp last year, Murdoch entrusted the helm of both entities to his son Lachlan.
The union between Murdoch and Zhukova reportedly blossomed from a chance encounter at a gathering hosted by one of Murdoch’s ex-wives, Wendi Deng, a Chinese-born entrepreneur.
Among Murdoch’s former spouses are Patricia Booker, an Australian flight attendant, Anna Mann, a Scottish-born journalist, and Jerry Hall, a US model and actress. Zhukova, previously married to Russian oil magnate Alexander Zhukov, has a daughter, Dasha, who was once wedded to Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich until 2017.
Murdoch’s professional trajectory began in Australia during the 1950s, culminating in the acquisition of the UK’s News of the World and the Sun newspapers in 1969. He later expanded his media empire to include prominent US publications such as the New York Post and the Wall Street Journal.
In 1996, Murdoch pioneered the launch of Fox News, now the preeminent television news channel in the United States. Through News Corp, established in 2013, Murdoch retains ownership of a myriad of local, national, and international media entities.
Despite his illustrious career, Murdoch has been embroiled in controversy, notably the UK phone-hacking scandal, which erupted following revelations that the News of the World had intercepted voicemails belonging to murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler.
Last September, Mr Murdoch announced he was stepping back from the leading role in his media empire – handing the reins to his son Lachlan and later taking on the role of Chairman Emeritus of both Fox and News Corp.
