Rupert Murdoch, the renowned media magnate who stepped down from the boards of Fox and News Corporation last year, married Elena Zhukova on Saturday at his Moraga vineyard estate in Bel Air, Los Angeles, according to The New York Times (NYT).
In an outdoor ceremony under clear skies, 93-year-old Murdoch and 67-year-old Zhukova exchanged vows. Zhukova, carrying a bouquet of white flowers, wore a stunning ankle-length, off-the-shoulder white dress reportedly designed by Emilia Wickstead, while Murdoch opted for a dark suit paired with sneakers. Notable guests included Robert K Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots, and Robert Thomson, CEO of News Corp.
As reported by The Daily Mail last summer, the couple’s relationship began through Murdoch’s third wife, Wendi Deng. Zhukova, a retired molecular biologist who immigrated to the US from Moscow in 1991, was previously married to billionaire energy investor Alexander Zhukov, according to NYT.
While details of their courtship remain private, reports suggest they spent weeks vacationing on the Mediterranean aboard the private motor yacht Christina O, once owned by Aristotle Onassis. Their engagement was confirmed in March.
This marriage follows Murdoch’s called-off engagement to Ann Lesley Smith, a retired dental hygienist and conservative radio host. Murdoch proposed to Smith last spring, but the engagement was called off after less than a month.
Zhukova’s marital history is less publicized. She met her first husband, British citizen Alexander Zhukov, while both were students in the Soviet Union. Their marriage, which lasted three years, produced a daughter, Dasha Zhukova, an entrepreneur and socialite, as reported by The New York Times.