San Francisco, Aug 16: At 92, Australia-born American media mogul Rupert Murdoch is reportedly dating Elena Zhukova, a 66-year-old retired scientist, the media reported,
According to Daily Mail, citing sources, Murdoch started dating Zhukova after meeting her through his third wife Wendi Deng.
The billionaire was spotted with Zhukova boarding a rented superyacht named ‘Christina O’ in the Mediterranean last weekend. The luxury yacht is said to have been spotted off the coast of Corfu, Greece.
Murdoch’s third wife is friends with Zhukova’s daughter Dasha Zhukova, who was married to Russian oligarch and former owner of Chelsea FC, Roman Abramovich.
According to the report, Zhukova is a molecular biologist and specialist in diabetes. She was divorced twice and has lived in the US for over three decades after leaving Russia in 1991 with her daughter.
Before retiring, she worked at the medical research unit in the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
The report mentioned that she spends most of her time with her grandchildren — Dasha and Roman.
Murdoch, who has been married four times, ended his last marriage by divorcing Jerry Hall in August last year. Earlier this year, he called off his engagement with Ann Lesley Smith, two weeks after announcing it.
As per the report, he proposed to Smith with an 11-carat diamond ring worth over $2.5 million.
Murdoch was last married to Jerry Hall, a model and actress, for six years.
In addition to Hall, Murdoch was previously married to Deng from 1999 to 2013; Anna Maria Torv from 1967 to 1999; and Patricia Booker, from 1956 to 1967.
Murdoch serves as the chairman of Fox Corporation, a publicly traded entity that controls Fox Broadcasting, Fox Sports, Fox Business, and Fox News.
As the head of News Corporation, he also owns the New York Post, in addition to the Wall Street Journal, The Sun and the publishing house Harper Collins.
IANS