Rupert Murdoch reportedly met his fiancee through his third wife, Wendi Deng. Photo / Getty Images
Rupert Murdoch reportedly met his fiancee through his third wife, Wendi Deng. Photo / Getty Images
Rupert Murdoch decided that at 92, it was time to give up the reins of power at his media empire — but it seems he believes age is no barrier for new love, or a new marriage.
On Thursday (Friday NZT), Murdoch’s office said that he planned to marry hisgirlfriend, Elena Zhukova, 67, a retired molecular biologist whom he started dating last year.
The nuptials, scheduled for June, would culminate a topsy-turvy romantic journey to a fifth marriage for Murdoch, whose personal dramas have frequently made him the focus of the tabloid gossip industry he helped create.
He met Zhukova through his third wife, Wendi Deng, The Daily Mail reported in August, when it broke the news of the relationship.
Zhukova distinguished herself as a molecular biologist studying diabetes, including at UCLA. But she also has an intriguing pedigree.
Having come to the United States from Moscow toward the end of the Soviet Union, her ex-husband, Alexander Zhukov, became a billionaire energy investor (he now resides in London as a British citizen).
Her daughter, Dasha Zhukova, is a prominent philanthropist, entrepreneur and arts patron who, until 2017, was married to Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich.
Rupert Murdoch and Jerry Hall at the 2019 Vanity Fair Oscar Party in LA. Photo / Getty Images
A representative for Murdoch confirmed that invitations to the wedding have already gone out; the event is to be held at Murdoch’s California vineyard and estate, Moraga.
Moraga was where Murdoch first hatched his deal with Bob Iger to sell a large portion of his media empire, his movie studios and cable networks, to The Walt Disney Co. That deal looks especially keen this year as the industry continues to be rocked by the evolution to streaming.
Murdoch’s marriage would be unlikely to affect the future of the company, which is effectively controlled through a family trust whose shares belong to him and his four eldest children — one with his first wife, Patricia Booker, the other three with his second wife, Anna Murdoch Mann.
