Rupert Murdoch, 92, 'dating again' as he’s spotted with retired scientist, 66
Rupert Murdoch is rumoured to be dating again as he was spotted with retired scientist Elena Zhukova.
The 92-year-old, who only split from fiancée Anne Lesley Smith in April, was seen on holiday on a luxury superyacht in the Mediterranean with the 66-year-old Russian scientist, after the pair were introduced by Rupert’s ex-wife Wendi Deng.
According to reports, the media mogul has got the “energy of people half his age”, and is enjoying spending time with Elena, who is mother to Dasha Zhukova, the Russian socialite who was previously married to billionaire Roman Abramovich.
“He just might be in love again,” a source told US site Drudge Report, with Rupert already introducing his new girlfriend to daughters Grace and Chloe, who he shares with ex Wendi, on the lavish family holiday in Europe.
Also joining the lovebirds on their vacation is Rupert’s son Lachlan and wife Sarah, as well as his daughter Elisabeth and her husband Keith. The new romance comes after the ageing billionaire parted ways with Anne Lesley Smith, 66, just days after the couple announced their engagement, with Rupert giving the former dental hygienist a stunning 11-carat diamond ring worth $2.5 million.
Top 20 excuses Brits use to cancel a date - from sickness to work emergencyThe couple began dating in January this year, and they described their whirlwind romance as a “gift from God”, with Rupert claiming the impending marriage would be his last, adding: “I was very nervous. I dreaded falling in love - but I knew this would be my last. It better be. I’m happy.”
However, the nuptials were called off just two weeks after they announced their happy news, with reports suggesting Anne struggled with the intense media scrutiny of their relationship.
Unlucky in love Rupert was already reeling from his shock divorce from Jerry Hall last year, with the former supermodel devastated after the oligarch ended their seven-year marriage with an email that allegedly read: “Jerry, sadly I’ve decided to call an end to our marriage. We have certainly had some good times, but I have much to do … My New York lawyer will be contacting yours immediately.”
Rupert married his first wife, the late Patricia, in 1956, however the pair divorced in 1967, nine years after the birth of their only child, daughter Prudence.
He then wed second wife Anna, and the couple share three children - daughter Elisabeth, 54, and sons Lachlan, now 51, and James, 50. They parted ways in 1999, with Rupert handing over more than $1.7 billion in a costly divorce settlement.
Rupert married Wendi Deng just days after his divorce from Anna, and during their 14 year union they welcomed two daughters - Grace, 22, and Chloe, 20. They divorced in 2013, and three years later, Rupert and Jerry tied the knot after a brief romance.