Rupert Murdoch marries for the fifth time | News


The media mogul marries a retired Russian-born molecular biologist in a ceremony in California.

Media mogul Rupert Murdoch has married a Russian-born retired molecular biologist for the fifth time.

Murdoch, 93, and Elena Zhukova, 67, exchanged vows in a ceremony at their vineyard estate in Bel Air, California, on Saturday, less than three months after the couple announced they were engaged.

Murdoch's The Sun tabloid published photographs of the groom wearing a black suit and yellow tie and the bride dressed in an off-the-shoulder white dress.

Guests at the ceremony included Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots football team, and News Corp CEO Robert Thomson.

Murdoch's fourth marriage to model and actor Jerry Hall ended in divorce in 2022.

The billionaire was previously married to Chinese-born television executive Wendi Deng, Scottish-Australian journalist Anna Torv and Australian flight attendant Patricia Booker.

Murdoch, who has six children, announced his engagement to dental hygienist-turned-conservative radio host Ann Lesley Smith last year before calling off the wedding several weeks later.

Zhukova was previously married to billionaire energy investor and Russian politician Alexander Zhukov.

Murdoch, who built a global media empire after inheriting Adelaide-based newspaper The News in the 1950s, resigned in November as head of Fox News parent company and its News Corp media holdings.

Murdoch's surprise resignation handed control of the media outlets, which include Fox News, The Times of London and The Wall Street Journal, to his son, Lachlan.

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