At ninety-two, Rupert Murdoch made the decision to relinquish control over his media empire. However, it appears that he still feels that being older shouldn’t stop someone from finding love or getting married. Mr. Murdoch’s office said on Thursday that he was getting married to his 67-year-old fiancée, Elena Zhukova, a retired molecular biologist, whom he had been dating since the summer.
The June wedding would mark the end of Mr. Murdoch’s tumultuous romantic path to a fifth marriage. His personal tragedies have often made him the center of attention for the tabloid gossip industry, which he helped to establish.
In the spring of 2023, he got engaged to retired dental hygienist Ann Lesley Smith, following his divorce from model and Mick Jagger’s ex-wife Jerry Hall in the summer of 2022. But after about two weeks, he called off that engagement.
Rupert Murdoch and Ms. Zhukova’s Relationship
Ms. Zhukova was introduced to him by his third wife, Wendi Deng, according to an August Daily Mail article that broke the news of the couple’s relationship. As a molecular biologist who researched diabetes, Ms. Zhukova established a notable reputation, including at the University of California, Los Angeles. However, she also possesses a fascinating lineage.
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Alexander Zhukov, her ex-husband, immigrated to the United States from Moscow at the dissolution of the Soviet Union and ascended to the status of a billionaire energy investor (he currently resides in London as a British citizen).
Dasha Zhukova, her daughter, is a notable entrepreneur, philanthropist, and patron of the arts. Before 2017, she was wed to the Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich. A spokesperson for Mr. Murdoch verified that wedding invitations have already been distributed; the occasion will take place at his vineyard and estate in Moraga, California.
Mr. Murdoch and Bob Iger conceived their agreement to transfer a substantial portion of his media empire, including his movie studios and cable networks, to Disney at Moraga. This bargain appears especially attractive this year, as the streaming revolution continues to shake the industry.
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A year ago, Mr. Murdoch declared his intention to step down from his position as CEO of his companies and assumed an emeritus position while his son Lachlan assumed complete control.
It is improbable that Mr. Murdoch’s matrimonial union would have an impact on the company’s future, given that it is efficiently governed via a family trust in which he and his four eldest children (one with Patricia Booker, his first wife, and the remaining three with Anna Murdoch Mann) hold shares.