Whether it’s Vladimir Putin or Rupert Murdoch, socialite and art collector Wendi Deng Murdoch has a thing for powerful conservative men – and women. Deng Murdoch, Rupert Murdoch’s ex-wife, was spotted this weekend sightseeing in Dubrovnik with Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner. Do we smell an endorsement cooking?
Deng Murdoch actually added the name Trump to her little black book of ruthless conservative sidekicks years ago. According to People Magazine, she set up Trump with her husband Jared Kushner.
Donald Trump has of course been criticized for praising Putin, and Deng Murdoch is rumored to be dating the Russia leader – a rumor that, however widely reported, stretches the bounds of belief. After all, Putin is known for his taste for younger women, e.g., this “busty 23-year-old.”
The last time we ran into Deng Murdoch, who lives in 834 Fifth Avenue, she was at an event hosted by developer/Four-Seasons-destroyer, Aby Rosen, for the online art platform Artsy. We spoke to her at the time, and she seemed more interested in pricey art than world domination.
So despite the headlines — such as “Ivanka’s sightseeing partner draws further speculation about Trump’s Russia ties” (CNBC) and “Ivanka Trump Hanging Out in Croatia With Vladimir Putin’s Girlfriend” (Gawker), it is seriously doubtful that the uber-rich divorcee is a mole for the Kremlin or a communication pipeline between Putin and Donald Trump. There is even a Snopes article unpacking the rumors.
Nevertheless, in this election cycle almost anything seems possible.
@ivankatrump @jaredckushner #birthday
A photo posted by Wendi Murdoch (@wendimurdoch) on