Rupert Murdoch marries his fifth wife at the age of 93, reports say

3 Jun 2024

KKCO-TV

(Gray News) - Media tycoon Rupert Murdoch tied the knot for the fifth time, according to several reports.

The Australian billionaire married retired Russian biologist Elena Zhukov at his California vineyard and estate, Moraga, on June 1, according to a report from The Independent.

Murdoch is 93 and Zhukov is 67.

The BBC reported that the couple said they met at a party hosted by one of Murdoch’s ex-wives in the spring of 2023. The Independent reported their engagement was confirmed in March 2024.

Murdoch’s previous marriage was to U.S. model and actress, Jerry Hall, according to the Independent. They were married from 2016 to 2022. His other ex-wives include Australian flight attendant Patricia Booker, Scottish-born journalist Anna Mann and Chinese-born entrepreneur Wendi Deng, according to the BBC.

Murdoch began his media empire in 1952 when he inherited a newspaper from his father in Adelaide, Australia, according to the Associated Press. He would later buy several publications in the U.K. and the U.S., including the News of the World, the Sun, the New York Post and the Wall Street Journal, according to BBC.

He launched Fox News in 1996 and started the Fox broadcast network, which was the first network to successfully challenge the “Big Three” of broadcasting, ABC, CBS and NBC.

Murdoch stepped down as the leader of his two companies, Fox Corp. and the News Corp., in September 2023, according to the Associated Press. His son, Lachland, became News Corp. chairman and continued his role as chief executive officer of Fox Corp., following Murdoch’s exit.