Romance Alert: Rupert Murdoch Is In Love Again

By Emily Richardson | Celebrity | August 15, 2023 |

By Emily Richardson | Celebrity | August 15, 2023 |

Love ain’t dead! And neither is Rupert Murdoch. According to the Daily Mail, the 92-year-old billionaire is in a new relationship with 66-year-old Elena Zhukova, a retired molecular biologist. The new couple has been spotted cruising the Mediterranean on the rented (ew, second hand?!) superyacht, the Christina O.

The news comes four months after Rupert called off his short-lived engagement to would-be Wife #5, Ann Lesley Smith. At the time, an insider claimed Rupert had become “increasingly uncomfortable” with Ann’s “outspoken evangelical views.” Translation: she loved Jesus too much. The year before that, Rupert dumped Wife #4, Jerry Hall, via an email that began: “Jerry, sadly I’ve decided to call an end to our marriage…” Their divorce was finalized two months later. One of the terms of the settlement was that Jerry couldn’t give story ideas to the writers on Succession.

According to a source, Rupert and Elena met through Wife #3, Wendi Deng. Wendi is good friends with Elena’s daughter, 42-year-old socialite Dasha Zhukova. Dasha’s best known for her marriage to Russian oligarch/former Chelsea FC owner, Roman Abramovich. The pair divorced in 2019. Dasha is now married to Greek billionaire shipping heir, Stavros Niarchos.

Speaking of Greek shipping magnates, the yacht that Rupert and Elena are currently on was originally owned by Aristotle Onassis. He bought the boat in 1954, and named it after his daughter, Christina. Weirdly enough, it was the billionaire’s rivalry with Stavros Niarchos (Dasha’s current husband’s grandfather, for whom he is named) that drove Aristotle to spend $4 million transforming the former WWII frigate into a très fancy superyacht. He splurged on over-the-top amenities like a mosaic pool that can be converted into a dance floor and leather bar stools made from whale foreskin.

The Christina O set the new standard for lavish private superyachts. It’s where Grace Kelly and Rainier III held their 1956 wedding reception. Aristotle and his mistress, opera singer Maria Callas, and, later, his wife, Jackie Kennedy Onassis, entertained celebrities like Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe, Winston Churchill, Greta Garbo, Paul Getty, Eva Perón, Frank Sinatra, and John Wayne. Recently, the yacht was featured in the film Triangle of Sadness. It costs $767,000 per week to rent.

I know what you’re thinking: “The Mediterranean? Whale penis stools?! Wow, Rupert and Elena must be having the sexiest time of their lives!” Think again. The Daily Mail’s source claims Rupert’s daughters with Wendi Deng, 22-year-old Grace and 20-year-old Chloe, are also on board. But, actually, there’s a pretty good chance the girls won’t even run into their nonagenarian father and his latest candidate for Wife #5. Yet another perk of spending your summer vacay on a 325-foot-long, 18-bedroom superyacht.