Who Is Elena Zhukova, Robert Murdoch's New Wife To Be?

Media mogul Robert Murdoch's team has confirmed his engagement to his girlfriend, retired Russian molecular biologist Elena Zhukova, aged 67.

The 92-year-old Murdoch, who stepped down as chairman of Fox and News Corp last year, is set to marry Zhukova at his Moraga vineyard and estate in California this year. This will mark Murdoch's fifth marriage but sixth engagement.

The New York Times reports that the nuptials are scheduled for June, with invitations already sent out. Rumors of Murdoch's relationship with Zhukova surfaced shortly after his engagement to ex-police chaplain Ann Lesley Smith was called off in April 2023.

Murdoch's last wife was US model and actress Jerry Hall, whom he divorced in 2022. His previous marriages include Chinese-born entrepreneur Wendi Deng, Anna Murdoch Mann, and Australian flight attendant Patricia Booker Patricia Booker. He has six children.

Murdoch embarked on his career in Australia during the 1950s, acquiring the News of the World and The Sun newspapers in the UK in 1969. He expanded his media empire by purchasing several US publications, including the New York Post and Wall Street Journal.

In 1996, Murdoch established Fox News, which has since become the most-watched TV news channel in the US. Despite founding News Corp in 2013, Murdoch continues to maintain ownership of numerous local, national, and international media outlets through the conglomerate.

Who is Elena Zhukova?

Zhukova is a molecular biologist, focusing on diabetes research at the University of California, Los Angeles. However, her background is equally interesting.

Originally from Moscow, she moved to the United States as the Soviet Union was collapsing. Her ex-husband, Alexander Zhukov, later became a billionaire energy investor and is now a British citizen residing in London.

Her daughter, Dasha Zhukova, is a well-known philanthropist, entrepreneur, and arts patron who was previously married to Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich until 2017.