Media tycoon Rupert Murdoch gets engaged to Elena Zhukova

Media mogul Rupert Murdoch has officially announced his engagement to retired Russian molecular biologist Elena Zhukova, as confirmed by his team.

The 92-year-old tycoon, who recently resigned as chairman of Fox and News Corp, has reportedly been in a romantic relationship with the 67-year-old Zhukova for several months.

This upcoming union will mark Murdoch's fifth marriage and sixth engagement.

The wedding ceremony is anticipated to take place later this year at Murdoch's Moraga vineyard and estate in California, with June being the reported month for the event. Invitations have already been sent out, according to the initial report by the New York Times.

Murdoch's association with Zhukova surfaced shortly after his engagement to Ann Lesley Smith, a former police chaplain, was abruptly terminated in April 2023.

The couple is said to have met at a party hosted by one of Murdoch's ex-wives, Chinese-born entrepreneur Wendi Deng.

Murdoch's previous marriages include unions with Australian flight attendant Patricia Booker, Scottish-born journalist Anna Mann, Wendi Deng, and US model and actress Jerri Hall.

On the other hand, Zhukova was formerly married to Russian oil billionaire Alexander Zhukov, and their daughter Dasha, a socialite and businesswoman, was once married to Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich until 2017.

Rupert Murdoch, who initiated his career in Australia during the 1950s, went on to acquire major UK publications such as News of the World and The Sun in 1969.

He expanded his media influence in the US by purchasing publications like the New York Post and Wall Street Journal. In 1996, Murdoch launched Fox News, now the most-watched TV news channel in the US.

Despite a successful career, Murdoch faced controversy, notably with the UK phone hacking scandal involving the News of the World and the intrusion into murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler's voicemails.

In September of the previous year, Murdoch announced stepping back from the leading role in his media empire, handing over control to his son Lachlan, and assuming the position of Chairman Emeritus of both Fox and News Corp.

The New York Times reports that the impending marriage to Zhukova is not expected to significantly impact the future of Murdoch's businesses, as they are currently held in a trust managed by his four eldest children.