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Media Titan Rupert Murdoch, 92, to Marry for the Fifth Time
March 8, 2024
Rupert Murdoch is engaged to Elena Zhukova, a retired molecular biologist. She is more than 20 years his junior and is the news mogul’s sixth fiancée.
The New York Times reports that Fox News and News Corp’s ex-chairman is set to wed Zhukova in June. The wedding will be held in California, at Murdoch’s vineyard and estate, Moraga.
Murdoch and Zhukova, who is originally from Moscow, began dating last summer after reportedly meeting through his third wife, Wendi Deng. Murdoch filed for divorce from Deng in 2013 after 14 years of marriage and two daughters together.
Murdoch and Zhukova’s relationship began in 2023. It began shortly after he called off his two-week engagement to Ann Lesley Smith.
Rupert Murdoch, 92, is engaged once more. This time it is to Elena Zhukova, 67, a retired molecular biologist whom he started dating in the summer. https://t.co/vvqOhH6fhq
— The New York Times (@nytimes) March 7, 2024
Murdoch, who has six children, was first married to Patricia Booker, an Australian flight attendant, whom he divorced in the late 1960s. He and his second wife, Anna Torv, a newspaper reporter, were together for more than 30 years before divorcing in 1999. His marriage to Deng ended in 2013. Murdoch’s most recent marriage was to actor and model Jerry Hall, which ended in 2022.
Per a report from Vanity Fair, Murdock ended his marriage with Hall via email. The message read, “Jerry, sadly, I’ve decided to call an end to our marriage. We have certainly had some good times, but I have much to do…My New York lawyer will be contacting yours immediately.”
Zhukova was previously married to Alexander Zhukov, a Russian-born British billionaire energy investor. Their union lasted three years, and they had a daughter named Dasha Zhukova, who is now 42 years old.
Murdoch announced in September that he would step down as Fox News and News Corp chair. His son Lachlan replaced him at both companies.
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