Former Italian prime minister and media magnate Silvio Berlusconi has died aged 86.
He died at the San Raffaele hospital in Milan, according to Italian media.
Three weeks earlier he had been discharged after six weeks of treatment for a lung infection caused by chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia, a rare form of blood cancer.
Berlusconi began his business career in property development before going on to found Mediaset, Italy’s largest commercial broadcaster. He also owned AC Milan football club between 1986 and 2017.
Berlusconi first came to office in 1994 at the head of the centre-right Forza Italia party and led four Italian governments until 2011. He was forced to resign as Italy’s economy contracted and his notorious “bunga bunga” parties with young women came to light.
A decade ago he was banned from holding public office over a tax fraud conviction stemming from dealings in his media empire, but the ban was lifted in 2018.
He returned to the Italian Senate after a national election last September.
Media interests
Berlusconi managed his business interests through family holding company Fininvest in which he was the controlling shareholder. Five of his children, Pier Silvio, Marina Berlusconi, Barbara, Eleonora and Luigi Berlusconi are also shareholders of Fininvest.
Italy’s top commerical broadcaster MediaForEurope (MFE), formerly known as Mediaset, is controlled by Fininvest, which owns a 48% stake.
MFE operates free-to-air TV channels as well as streaming services in Italy and Spain, and owns film production and distribution company Medusa. MFE had consolidated revenues of 2.9 billion euros in 2021.
MFE has a 29.9% German TV group ProSiebenSat.1Media with a 29.9% stake.
French media giant Vivendi holds around 23% of MFE.
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