Elena Zhukova was a molecular biologist who worked in UCLA’s medical research unit, according to the Daily Mail. Before holding that position, she had a job at the Baylor College of Medicine in Texas, according to Business Insider. The accomplished scientist was lauded for her research on diabetes. Lee Slice, Zhukova’s former colleague at UCLA, described his experience working with and getting to know the scientist. He told Insider, “She was a very good person to work with. Very smart, very straightforward.” Slice also shared that Zhukova was passionate about the discipline, noting that she was a “good supervisor” and a “good mentor.”
Now retired from the field, Zhukova seems to be taking it easy and relaxing with her new beau. In August, the Daily Mail shared that she and Rupert Murdoch were taking a Mediterranean cruise in the Christina O, a luxury yacht that reportedly costs nearly $800,000 for a week’s rental. Murdoch’s daughters Grace and Chloe joined them on their voyage.
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Nope — Zhukova’s involvement with Murdoch doesn’t shock Slice. He said, “That was sort of a circle she interacted with, as well as the scientific community.” Murdoch’s enormous wealth is nothing new for Zhukova, as she’s been recognized for her own riches. Slice shared, “When I met her at UCLA, she was fairly wealthy, I think from a prior marriage. She lived in a house in Westwood off the UCLA campus, which is a very high-end area.”
