Who Is Elena Zhukova? Molecular Biologist Set To Become 92-Yr-Old Rupert Murdoch’s 5th Wife

Media Tycoon Rupert Murdoch, 92, recently got engaged to his 67-year-old girlfriend Elena Zhukova, a retired molecular biologist, who he has been dating since last April. Although the former Fox and News Corp chairman stepped down from his role in 2023, ending his seven-decade career, he is set to embark on a new phase in his life by marrying for the fifth time.

Murdoch's wedding is expected to be held at his vineyard and estate in Moraga, California. According to the New York Times, the nuptials are set for June and the invitations have been sent out already. 

Murdoch was rumoured to be dating Zhukova soon after his engagement to Ann Lesley Smith, an ex-police chaplain, was abruptly called off in two weeks in April last year. He was previously married to model Jerri Hall. 

Who is Elena Zhukova?

Elena Zhokova is a retired molecular biologist who has been dating Rupert Murdoch since last summer. The media mogul is said to have met her through his third wife, Wendi Deng, an entrepreneur, whom he was married to for 14 years until they filed for divorce in 2013. 

Zhukova was previously married to a Russian oil billionaire Alexander Zhukov. Their daughter Dasha, a socialite and businesswoman, was married to the Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich until 2017. She made a name for herself in the field of molecular biology and her research work, including her work at the University of California, Los Angeles, focused on diabetes. 

Previous Marriages

Rupert Murdoch's former spouses include Australian flight attendant Patricia Booker, Scottish-born journalist Anna Mann, Chinese entrepreneur Wendi Deng, and US model and actress Jerri Hall. 

Rupert Murdoch's Career

Murdoch began his career in Australia in the 1950s and eventually ended up buying the News of the World and The Sun newspapers in the UK in 1969. He also purchased various US publications including the New York Post and Wall Street Journal. 

He launched Fox News in 1996, which is now the most-watched TV news channel in the US. Although he has stepped down from his role, he still owns hundreds of local, national, and international media outlets, through News Corp, which he founded in 2013.

After stepping down from the leading role in his media empire, Murdoch handed over the reins to his son Lachlan. 

As per the New York Times's report, Murdoch's marriage will not affect the company's future which is largely controlled through family trust. The shares of his company belong to him and his four children, including one with his first wife Booker and three with his second wife Mann.