93-year-old tycoon marries for the fifth time

Media tycoon Rupert Murdoch has married for a fifth time in a ceremony at his Californian vineyard.

Mr Murdoch, 93, tied the knot on Saturday with his new wife Elena Zhukova, 67, a retired Russian biologist.

He was rumoured to be dating Ms Zhukova soon after his engagement to ex-police chaplain Ann Lesley Smith was abruptly called off in April 2023.

Australian-born Mr Murdoch, who has six children, is chairman emeritus of News Corporation, which owns Fox News, the Wall Street Journal, the Sun and the Times.

He stepped down as chairman of Fox and News Corp last year, leaving his son Lachlan to head both companies.

Mr Murdoch and Ms Zhukova are said to have met at a party hosted by one of his ex-wives, Chinese-born entrepreneur Wendi Deng.

His other former spouses are Australian flight attendant Patricia Booker, Scottish-born journalist Anna Mann, and US model and actress Jerry Hall.

Ms Zhukova was previously married to Russian oil billionaire Alexander Zhukov, while their daughter Dasha – a socialite and businesswoman – was married to the Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich until 2017.

Rupert Murdoch began his career in Australia in the 1950s – eventually buying the News of the World and the Sun newspapers in the UK in 1969.

He later purchased a number of US publications including the New York Post and Wall Street Journal.

In 1996, he launched Fox News – now the most-watched TV news channel in the US.

Through News Corp, which was founded in 2013, Mr Murdoch remains the owner of hundreds of local, national and international media outlets.

His career has not been without controversy. One of his most damaging moments was the notorious UK phone-hacking scandal that erupted after it emerged that the News of the World had listened to murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler’s voicemails.

Last September, Mr Murdoch announced he was stepping back from the leading role in his media empire – handing the reins to his son Lachlan and later taking on the role of Chairman Emeritus of both Fox and News Corp.