Elena Zhukova is a retired scientist and the new girlfriend of media mogul Rupert Murdoch. The 66-year-old Russian-American woman has been dating the 92-year-old billionaire since August 2023, after meeting him at a party hosted by his ex-wife Wendi Deng. Here are some facts about Elena Zhukova and her life.
Early Life, Biography & Education
Elena Zhukova was born in Moscow, Russia, in 1957. She has a Jewish-Russian heritage and grew up in a family of intellectuals. She met her first husband, Alexander Zhukov when they were both students. Alexander Zhukov is an oil trader and financier who made a fortune in the post-Soviet era.
Elena and Alexander had a daughter, Dasha Zhukova, who was born in 1981. They divorced when Dasha was three years old. Elena left the Soviet Union in 1990 and moved to the United States with her daughter. She took a position at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, where she worked as a molecular biologist.
Later, Elena moved to Los Angeles, California, where she continued her research at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She became a professor of biology and an authority on diabetes. She published several peer-reviewed scientific articles and retired from academia in 2018.
Who is Elena Zhukova?
Elena Zhukova has a Jewish-Russian heritage and was born in Moscow. She was previously married to Alexander Zhukhov, a Russian oil billionaire and financier. She left Russia in 1990 with her daughter and moved to the US, where she worked at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston before joining UCLA.
Elena Zhukova is described by her former colleague Lee Slice as a “very down to earth” person who was “very serious” about her scientific work. She did not flaunt her wealth or lifestyle in the lab but was always friendly and helpful.
BIO/WIKI
| Real Name | Elena Zhukova |
| In Limelight | Dating Rupert Murdoch |
| Age | 66 years old |
| Birth Date | 1957 |
| Birth Place | Moscow, Russia |
| Gender | Female |
| Nationality | Russian-American |
| Ethnicities | Caucasian |
| Parents | Father: Name Not Known Mother: Homemaker |
| grammasinthebuilding | |
| Marital Status | Divorced. |
| Ex-husband | Alexander Zhukov. |
| Daughter | Dasha Zhukova. |
| Relationship Status | Dating. |
| Partner | Rupert Murdoch. |
| Weight | Kg: 57.4. Pounds: 126.5 lbs. |
| Height | In feet: 5′ 5″. In centimeters: 165 cm. In meters: 1.65 m. |
| Eyes | Green. |
| Hair | Brown. |
| Profession | Retired Scientist. |
| Worked At | UCLA. |
| Homepage | Dreshare.com |
Marriage, Husband & Daughter
Elena Zhukova has been married and divorced twice. After her divorce from Alexander Zhukov, she had twins, a boy, and a girl, from another relationship. The identity of the father of her twins is not publicly known.
Elena’s daughters are Katya Zhukova, Dasha, and Darya Zhukova. Dasha Zhukova is a prominent art collector, businesswoman, magazine editor, and socialite. She was married to Roman Abramovich, a Russian oligarch and the former owner of Chelsea FC, from 2008 to 2018. They have two children together, a son named Aaron and a daughter named Lea.
Dasha is also the founder of the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art and Garage Magazine in Moscow. She is currently married to Stavros Niarchos II, a Greek shipping heir, and billionaire. They tied the knot in October 2019 and have one child together.
Elena Zhukova and Rupert Murdoch’s Relationship
Elena Zhukova met Rupert Murdoch at a family gathering organized by Wendi Deng, his third ex-wife. Wendi Deng is friends with Dasha Zhukova and invites her mother to the party. Rupert Murdoch was reportedly smitten by Elena and asked her out. They have been dating since August 2023 and have been spotted cruising together in the Mediterranean on a luxury yacht.
Who is Rupert Murdoch?
Rupert Murdoch is the founder and executive chairman of News Corp, a global media conglomerate that owns The Wall Street Journal, The Times of London, The Sun, The New York Post, HarperCollins Publishers, Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network, Fox Sports Network, Sky News Australia, Sky UK & Ireland, Star India & Hotstar (Disney+ Hotstar), Foxtel (Australia), Tata Sky (India), Endemol Shine Group (Netherlands), Dow Jones & Company (USA), among others.
Rupert Murdoch has been married four times before. His first wife was Patricia Booker, an Australian journalist and flight attendant. They had one daughter together, Prudence MacLeod. They divorced in 1967. His second wife was Anna Mann (née Torv), a Scottish journalist and novelist. They had three children together: Elisabeth Murdoch (a media executive), Lachlan Murdoch (the executive chairman of Fox Corporation), and James Murdoch (the former CEO of 21st Century Fox). They divorced in 1999.
His third wife was Wendi Deng (née Deng Wen Ge), a Chinese-born businesswoman and film producer. They had two daughters together: Grace Helen Murdoch and Chloe Murdoch. They divorced in 2013 amid allegations of Wendi’s affair with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. His fourth wife was Jerry Hall (née Jerry Faye Hall), an American model and actress. They married in 2016 and divorced in 2020.
Career
Elena Zhukova is a retired Russian molecular biologist who had a successful career in medical research. She worked at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) as a professor of biology and specialized in diabetes. She has published several peer-reviewed scientific articles on topics such as insulin signaling, glucose metabolism, and gene expression. She also collaborated with other researchers from different institutions and countries.
Some of her notable publications are:
- Zhukova E, et al. (2007). Insulin receptor substrate 2 plays a crucial role in beta cells and the hypothalamus. Journal of Clinical Investigation, 117(9), 2652-2663.
- Zhukova E, et al. (2010). Glucose sensing by POMC neurons regulates glucose homeostasis and is impaired in obesity. Nature, 466(7306), 802-810.
- Zhukova E, et al. (2014). The transcription factor MafA regulates the expression of genes important for glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. Molecular Endocrinology, 28(8), 1216-1227.
Elena Zhukova retired from UCLA in 2018 and moved to New York City. She is currently dating media mogul Rupert Murdoch, who is the chairman of Fox Corp. and the owner of The Wall Street Journal and The Times of London. They met at a party hosted by Murdoch’s ex-wife, Wendi Deng, and have been cruising together in the Mediterranean for several weeks.
Net Worth and Lifestyle
Elena Zhukova’s net worth is not publicly known but she is estimated to be wealthy due to her successful career as a scientist and her marriage to Alexander Zhukov. She lives a low-key life and does not have much presence on social media. She has an Instagram account with less than 200 followers where she posts pictures of her family and friends.
Rupert Murdoch’s net worth is estimated to be $22 billion as of August 2023 according to Forbes. He owns several properties around the world including a penthouse apartment in New York City worth $57 million; a mansion in Beverly Hills worth $30 million; a vineyard estate in Los Angeles worth $29 million; a country estate in Oxfordshire worth $25 million; a ranch in Montana worth $23 million; an apartment in London worth $15 million; and a yacht named Vertigo worth $100 million.
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