Whether you think Rupert Murdoch is a dastardly villain or a captain of industry, you can’t deny his stamina.
He’s 92 and dating again after splitting from two women — fourth wife Jerry Hall and Ann Lesley Smith, to whom he was briefly engaged earlier this year — in a matter of months.
Leonardo DiCaprio, eat your heart out.
Murdoch’s latest amour, retired scientist Elena Zhukova, seems an intriguing match.
Her daughter, Dasha, was married to billionaire oligarch Roman Abramovich — and it appears Murdoch and Zhukova were introduced by none other than Wendi Deng, Murdoch’s sharp-elbowed third wife.
Wendi is reportedly great friends with Dasha, as both live in New York and they share a passion for expensive art and philanthropy (financed by their ex-husbands).
These are the kind of women who know what they want — and don’t mess around when getting it.
They’re a far cry from the more laid-back Jerry Hall: a relaxed, party-loving, rock’n’roll chick.
It was clear to me that Murdoch adored Hall when I went to their wedding. He must have done, to put up with Bob Geldof’s hilarious but not entirely flattering speech on behalf of the bride.
But in the end, I think she was perhaps just too much of a free spirit for Murdoch — not to mention his somewhat tricky family.
He needs someone to match his drive, and all Hall wanted was a good time.
At heart, she’s a hedonist; Murdoch is, first and foremost, a businessman.
So you can see why someone like Russian-born Zhukova might be the one. Not only is she stunning for her age — 66 — she also had a stellar career as a molecular biologist and diabetes specialist.
But the real question many will be asking is: Why? What makes Murdoch, at the age of 92, bother to expose himself to the potential heartache of another relationship that may not work out?
The answer, I think, is simple. Men like him can’t manage without a woman.
For all their success, they still harbour a fundamental belief that if they don’t have a glamorous woman on their arm, the world will see them as a failure.
I see it all the time. I know countless men who are roaring successes — but a lot of that success rests on the fact that they have a woman who’s got their back. The same is not true of my female friends.
Most of them would be better off without the men in their lives, but they’re far too nice to acknowledge it.
The truth is, men — even those with vast media empires — go to pot on their own.
They quickly descend into a spiral of beer, pizza and too much TV football.
Women, by contrast, left alone to their own devices, just buy more books, cushions and scented candles.
I hope it works out for Murdoch this time.
As for Zhukova, I’m full of admiration. It would take a lot more than yachts and diamonds to tempt me from my quiet life.