Media tycoon Rupert Murdoch marries for the fifth time

Rupert Murdoch has married retired marine biologist Elena Zhukova in California in the fifth marriage for the 93-year-old media mogul.

The wedding was held on Saturday at a Murdoch vineyard. Ms Zhukova is 67. The couple began dating last year.

Mr Murdoch stepped down last year as chairman of News Corp and Fox, ending a seven-decade career running a media empire that once spanned satellites, Hollywood studios, books, newspapers and TV stations on three continents.

The couple met through Mr Murdoch’s third wife, Wendi Deng, according to a report in the Daily Mail.

His fourth marriage, to actress and model Jerry Hall, ended in divorce in 2022 after six years. Ms Hall previously was a long-time partner of Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger.

Mr Murdoch was briefly engaged last year to former San Francisco police chaplain Ann Lesley Smith, though the pair called off the engagement weeks later. Vanity Fair reported the break-up, citing one source who said Mr Murdoch had grown uncomfortable with Ms Smith’s outspoken evangelical views.

His marriage to Ms Zhukova is not expected to impact a trust that holds 40 per cent of News Corp and Fox voting shares, according to a report in the Financial Times. – Reuters