93-y-o Rupert Murdoch marries for the fifth time

NEW YORK (AP):

Last Saturday, media magnate Rupert Murdoch, 93, married for the fifth time.

His corporation, News Corp, confirmed Sunday that Murdoch and Elena Zhukova, a 67-year-old Russian-born retired molecular biologist, wed in a ceremony at his vineyard estate in Bel Air, California.

Photographs of the newly married couple were released by News Corp. The couple announced their engagement in March.

Murdoch was most recently married to model and actor Jerry Hall. They were wed in 2016 and divorced in 2022.

Zhukova is the ex-wife of Alexander Zhukov, a billionaire energy investor and Russian politician. Their daughter, Dasha, was previously married to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, who used to own the Premier League soccer club Chelsea.

Last fall, Murdoch stepped down as leader of both Fox News’ parent company and his News Corp media holdings. His son, Lachlan, took his place in a media empire that spans continents and helped to shape modern American politics.

In 1952, Murdoch inherited a newspaper in his native Australia from his father. Over decades, he built a news and entertainment enterprise that became prominent in the United States and Britain, including ownership of such notable newspapers as The Times of London and The Wall Street Journal.

Fox News Channel, the 24-hour network founded in 1996, has profoundly influenced television, becoming a popular news source among many conservative U.S. audiences and politicians.