A huge shipment of flowers was delivered to Rupert Murdoch’s sprawling vineyard in LA, where the media mogul is reportedly getting married to biologist Elena Zhukova today.
Murdoch, 92, and Zhukova, 62, were due to hold their wedding ceremony at his vineyard, located in his imposing Bel Air estate, Moraga.
Following his six-year marriage to Jerry Hall, which lasted from 2016 to 2022, Saturday’s rumored nuptials will mark Murdoch’s fifth marriage.
The Hollywood Reporter was the first to report the planned June 1 wedding to March 7.
Murdoch, who has a fortune of about $20 billion according to Forbes, met Zhukova through his third wife, Wendi Deng.
A huge shipment of flowers was delivered to Rupert Murdoch’s sprawling vineyard in LA, where the media mogul is reportedly getting married to biologist Elena Zhukova today.
Photos show workers carrying cartloads and buckets of flowers along a flagstone path toward the estate
Murdoch met Zhukova (pictured) through his third wife. Zhukova becomes the mogul’s fifth husband
Photos show workers carrying cartloads and buckets of flowers along a flagstone path toward the estate. The flowers – white and delicate – seem suitable for a wedding ceremony.
Leafy green flowers in brown paper bags were also removed from the van and transported to the property.
In one photo, two men appear to be standing along the edge of the vineyard. One of the men points, possibly to make sure no wedding details are overlooked.
There also appears to be an increased security presence. The photos show men in dark jackets patrolling the street in front of the Bel Air mansion. In another photo, a member of the security team stands on a balcony, monitoring the activity below him.
In other photos, parking attendants in cobalt blue suits with coat of arms decals are ready to park the luxury cars in which guests are sure to arrive.
High hedges flank the site, hiding much of the activity that takes place behind them.
In one photo, two men appear to be standing along the edge of the vineyard. One of the men points, possibly to make sure no wedding details are overlooked
Leafy green flowers in brown paper bags were also removed from the van and transported to the property
Parking attendants in blue suits with coat of arms are ready to park the luxury cars in which the guests will surely arrive
There also appears to be an increased security presence. The photos show men in dark jackets patrolling the street in front of the Bel Air mansion
Murdoch and Zhukova appear to be opting for a more intimate ceremony in the Moraga vineyard, where the tycoon plans to spend his time and enjoy his retirement.
After Murdoch announced the surprising news that he would be stepping down as chairman of Fox. Corp. and News Corp, DailyMail.com confirmed that he would spend most of his time making world-class wines in his vineyard.
“He wants Moraga to be a big part of his legacy,” a Murdoch insider tells DailyMail.com. ‘He sees it as his responsibility to ensure that the estate has a secure future and that more people get to know the wine.’
“He wanted to resign knowing he had time and enough energy to focus on other things, especially Moraga,” the source added.
Murdoch purchased the unique estate in August 2013 through his Moraga Canyon Vineyards LLC from former Northrop Grumman CEO Tom Jones after seeing it for sale in the Wall Street Journal’s mansion section, part of the media stable he founded. led.
Security kept a close eye on all outdoor activities
Two men stand outside Moraga talking. The man on the right appears to be holding a suit
Los Angeles County property records show the purchase price was $22.3 million, rather than the $28.8 million widely reported — perhaps an example of Murdoch’s ability to secure a good deal.
Jones first planted vines on the estate in 1980. He made Murdoch promise to maintain the estate as a working winery and he indeed did so.
The unique estate is located on a 16-acre plot in the center of the LA metropolis.
The secluded property, hidden behind an ivy-covered, seven-foot stone wall and a large wooden gate on the driveway, was first built in 1937 as a horse ranch.
The first owner was Gone with the Wind and The Wizard of Oz director Victor Fleming. At the time, it hosted Hollywood greats like Clark Gable, Vivian Leigh, Ingrid Bergman and Spencer Tracy for horse riding and extravagant parties.
Murdoch bought Moraga in August 2013 for $22.3 million
The secluded property, hidden behind an ivy-covered 7-foot stone wall and a large wooden gate on the driveway, was first built in 1937 as a horse ranch.
In addition to a 7,500-square-foot ranch-style home, there is a guest house, several other outbuildings and a wine cave, the only one in Los Angles County.
It is Moraga, located on the quiet, tree-lined Moraga Drive in the Santa Monica Mountains, that has captured Murdoch’s heart more than any other luxury home.
Sources say Hall, 25 years his junior, had hoped to inherit the vineyard and had taken an online viticulture course before Murdoch announced to her by email in 2022 that their marriage was over and he wanted a divorce.
Between his divorce from Hall and his relationship with Zhukora, Murdoch was engaged for a few weeks to Ann Lesley Smith, a retired dental hygienist.
The media mogul’s first marriage was in 1956 to Patricia Booker, whom he divorced eleven years later in 1967.
Sources say Hall, 25 years his junior, had hoped to inherit the vineyard and had taken an online viticulture course before Murdoch announced to her by email in 2022 that their marriage was over and he wanted a divorce.
That same year, Murdoch married his second wife, Anna Maria Torv, with whom he remained for 32 years before finally divorcing in 1999.
Later that year, Murdoch married Deng, his third wife. They divorced in 2013.
Zhukova, Murdoch’s soon-to-be fifth wife, emigrated to the United States from Moscow. She was previously married to Alexander Zhukov, a billionaire energy investor.
Back in March, Murdoch and Zhukova sent wedding invitations, which reportedly stated that the event would take place in June at the mogul’s beloved Moraga.
Now that they are both retired, the couple plans to spend their time at the Bel Air estate, where Murdoch hopes to develop an internationally competitive winery.
But unlike the billions made by the money-conscious Murdoch media companies, the winery has not been a big moneymaker.
Zhukova, Murdoch’s soon-to-be fifth wife, emigrated to the United States from Moscow. She was previously married to Alexander Zhukov, a billionaire energy investor
Murdoch plans to develop Moraga and turn it into an internationally competitive wine brand
The company loses between $2 and $3 million a year due to taxes and real estate prices, and since it is in a residential area with houses surrounding it, the number of vines cannot be increased to boost production.
Fortunately, the wine already has a cult following and Murdoch plans to capitalize on it.
As a self-proclaimed oenophile, his goal is that “wine lovers everywhere have the opportunity to understand the unique nuances of our specific soil in Moraga and how that translates into the great wines we make,” according to the Moraga website.
“We are neither Napa nor Bordeaux,” Murdoch explains. ‘We are Moraga and deserve a place at the table among the rest of the top wines in the world.’