Rupert Murdoch marries a retired Russian scientist at a California vineyard
5:04 PM EDT, June 3, 2024
Rupert Murdoch, the 93-year-old billionaire, has married for the fifth time. This time, his bride is 67-year-old Elena Zhukova, a retired Russian molecular biologist. The wedding ceremony took place on Saturday at Murdoch's vineyard in California. Murdoch owns Fox News and publications such as The Wall Street Journal and The Times. A photo from the ceremony surfaced online.
News Corporation reported on Sunday that Rupert Murdoch has walked down the aisle again. His bride, Elena Zhukova, is a retired Russian molecular biologist. The couple announced their engagement in March.
The wedding ceremony occurred on Saturday at the billionaire's vineyard in Bel Air, California. News Corporation published photos of the newlyweds.
Elena Zhukova is a graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles. In her scientific career, she specialized in diabetes research. She was previously married to Alexander Zhukov, a billionaire and Russian politician involved in energy sector investments. Their daughter, Dasha, was married to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, the former owner of Chelsea Football Club. Abramovich fell under Western sanctions following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Rupert Murdoch has been married four times before
The billionaire was most recently engaged to retired dental hygienist Ann Lesley Smith, but he broke off the engagement before the wedding. Before that, he married model Jerry Hall, whom he divorced in the summer of 2022. Murdoch's first three ex-wives are Australian stewardess Patricia Booker, journalist Anna Mann, and American model and actress Jerry Hall.
Who is Rupert Murdoch?
Rupert Murdoch is an Australian-American media mogul born in Melbourne, Australia, on March 11, 1931. He is the retired chairman of News Corporation, one of the largest media companies in the world. This giant owns many well-known media brands, including Fox News, The Wall Street Journal, The Times, and The Sun. Murdoch stepped down as chairman of Fox and News Corporation last year, handing over the running of both companies to his son Lachlan.
After his father's death, Murdoch began his media career by taking over the family newspaper business. He expanded it internationally, creating an empire that included newspapers, television, and films. According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, the billionaire's fortune is estimated at $9.77 billion.
Murdoch's activities are controversial, mainly due to accusations of influencing politics through his media and scandals related to phone hacking by journalists from his newspapers. Nevertheless, Murdoch remains one of the most influential figures in the media world.
