Rupert Murdoch, 92, a media magnate, has announced that he is engaged to Elena Zhukova, 67, a retired Russian molecular biologist. Murdoch is getting married in June at his Californian ranch and winery, Moraga. This is his sixth engagement. Less than a year has passed since his brief engagement to conservative radio broadcaster Ann Lesley Smith, and they will soon tie the knot.
Renowned for her work in diabetes research, Elena Zhukova was honored at the University of California, Los Angeles. In 1991, she relocated to the US from her native Moscow. Zhukova and Rupert Murdoch met at a family reunion that Wendi Deng, Rupert Murdoch’s third ex-wife, arranged. They were married for 14 years before divorcing in 2013.
Elena Zhukova had already been married twice, the first time to Russian oil billionaire Alexander Zhukov. Dasha Zhukova, a 42-year-old socialite and businesswoman, is their daughter. According to Zhukova, her family was a part of the “usual, normal Moscow intelligentsia,” highlighting her connections to the city’s intellectual and cultural scene.
Rupert Murdoch has a complicated marriage history that includes Wendi Deng, Patricia Booker, and Anna Murdoch Mann. His fourth marriage to supermodel Jerry Hall ended in 2022. Last year, Rupert Murdoch handed over the leadership of News Corp. to his son, Lachlan, after retiring from his position as CEO. News Corp. is administered by a family trust, with shares held by Rupert Murdoch and his four eldest children, so even with health issues, the company’s future appears secure.
On March 11, Murdoch will commemorate his 93rd birthday.
The brief romantic relationship that ended abruptly in April 2023 with Ann Lesley Smith was followed by her engagement to Elena Zhukova. It is said that the couple connected through a special link that resulted in their current engagement, meeting at an event that Wendi Deng organized.
Australian-born Rupert Murdoch started his career in the media in the 1950s and eventually bought the UK newspapers The Sun and News of the World in 1969. With the acquisition of periodicals like the Wall Street Journal and New York Post, his influence spread to the US.
He established Fox News in 1996, which is currently the US’s most-watched TV news network. Murdoch continues to hold a large number of local, national, and international media properties through his 2013 startup, News Corp.
Murdoch experienced criticism despite his successful career, most notably after the News of the World was caught listening to the voicemails of Milly Dowler, a murdered schoolgirl, in a UK phone hacking scandal. Murdoch handed over leadership of the media company to his son Lachlan in September, resigning from his position as chairman of News Corp. and Fox as well as becoming Chairman Emeritus.
Breaking the story, The New York Times says that Murdoch’s marriage to Zhukova is not likely to affect his enterprises going forward, as they are owned in trust by his four eldest children. With a rich background of romantic relationships, media empire creation, and international power, the engagement marks a new chapter in Murdoch’s personal life. It is expected that the wedding at Moraga will be a momentous occasion that unites Murdoch’s legendary past with Elena Zhukova’s future.
The origins of Murdoch and Zhukova’s relationship are an intriguing and unexpected tale. Renowned diabetes researcher Zhukova made her name at the University of California, Los Angeles, before destiny brought her into contact with Murdoch. Zhukova, who is originally from Moscow, left her native country behind in 1991 to travel to the United States as the Soviet Union was coming to an end. This was a time of great change.
Zhukova and Murdoch were linked by blood, having met at an event hosted by Wendi Deng, Murdoch’s third ex-wife. Unintentionally, Deng, who was married to Murdoch for a long time before their 2013 divorce, helped to bring the two of them together.
Because she was previously married to Russian oil mogul Alexander Zhukov, with whom she shares a daughter, Dasha Zhukova, Zhukova is familiar with the complexities of marriage.
Following a brief romance with conservative radio broadcaster Ann Lesley Smith that ended in an engagement cancellation in April of last year, Murdoch is now engaged to this woman. Rupert Murdoch has a colorful romantic past; he has been married multiple times, most notably to supermodel Jerry Hall. Murdoch’s family tree is almost as complicated as his media company, with six offspring from his prior marriages.
Regarding that, there is no denying Rupert Murdoch’s impact on the media environment. In the end, his quest—which started in Australia in the 1950s—led him to purchase well-known UK newspapers, including The Sun and News of the World. By acquiring prestigious journals like the Wall Street Journal and the New York Post, he broadened his influence on the other side of the Atlantic. The establishment of Fox News in 1996, which has since grown to be a major force in television news, is arguably the clearest example of Rupert Murdoch’s influence on American media.