Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi dies at 86

Silvio Berlusconi the former prime minister who reshaped Italys political and cultural landscape while fending off multiple legal and sex scandals has died aged 86 his spokesman confirmed to AFP MondayThe billionaire media mogul was admitted to a Milan hospital on Friday for what aides said were preplanned tests related to his leukemiaHis admission came just three weeks after he was discharged following a sixweek stay at Milans San Raffaele hospital during which time doctors revealed he had a rare type of blood cancerBerlusconi had suffered ill health for years from heart surgery in 2016 to a 2020 hospitalisation for coronavirus Despite being reelected to the Senate last year he was rarely seen in publicBut he remained the official head of his rightwing Forza Italia party a junior and occasionally troublesome partner in Prime Minister Giorgia Melonis coalition governmentBerlusconi led Italy three times between 1994 and 2011 for a total of nine years wooing voters with a promise of economic success only to be forced out as a debt crisis gripped his countryBut his influence extended well beyond politics thanks to his extensive TV newspaper and sporting interests while his playboy antics kept him in the headlines even in his final yearsSilvio Berlusconi made history in this country exprime minister Matteo Renzi said on FacebookMany loved him many hated him everyone today must recognize that his impact on political but also economic sporting and television life was unprecedented he saidBerlusconi is survived by his 33yearold girlfriend Marta Fascina two exwives and five children some of whom help run his empire recently estimated to be worth some seven billion dollarsWhile it is too soon for details of his funeral Berlusconi built a Pharaohinspired marble mausoleum at his villa in Arcore near Milan to house his family and friends when they die Bunga bunga parties Charismatic clownish and with a fine grasp of what his audiences wanted Berlusconi used his media interests to project an image of a strong selfmade man that voters could emulate a tactic later used by US president Donald TrumpBerlusconi began his career as a realestate magnate before investing in television channels which broke the mould in Italy featuring shows particularly popular with housewives later a pillar of his electorateHe portrayed himself as both the messiah and a martyr and enjoyed widespread popularity though detractors accused him of cronyism corruption and pushing through laws to protect his own interestsHis fans admired his plain speaking although many Italians were acutely embarrassed by his crude jokes and insults on the international stage as well as his endless legal cases which resulted in one conviction for corporate tax fraudWhile Italys economy floundered the selfprofessed playboy was hosting his notorious bunga bunga sex parties which triggered a series of trials that were only wrapped up in recent monthsIn 2010 17yearold Karima ElMahroug known as Ruby the Heart Stealer claimed to have been paid by Berlusconi for sex He was later also accused of bribing witnesses to lie about the parties although he was ultimately acquittedThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever