Silvio Berlusconi was an Italian politician and media entrepreneur who holds the distinction of being the longest-serving Prime Minister in the history of the Italian Republic. He dominated Italian political life for decades and was internationally known as the founder of a vast media empire, the leader of the Forza Italia movement, and a highly controversial public figure whose career combined electoral success with persistent legal battles.

Silvio Berlusconi was born on 29 September 1936 in Milan, Italy. His father, Luigi Berlusconi, worked in banking, while his mother, Rosa Bossi, was a homemaker. He had two siblings, Maria Antonietta Berlusconi and Paolo Berlusconi. He graduated from the Faculty of Law at the University of Milan in 1961. After completing his studies, he entered the construction sector and later moved into media, beginning his involvement in cable television in 1973.

Five years later, Berlusconi founded his first major media group, Fininvest, which went on to establish a nationwide network of local television stations. Over time, he built one of Europe’s largest private media empires, with interests spanning television, newspapers, publishing, cinema, banking, insurance, and sports. According to Forbes, his net worth was estimated at 12 billion US dollars in 2005, ranking him as the 74th richest person in the world. In 2012, Forbes estimated his wealth at 5.9 billion US dollars, making him Italy’s sixth richest individual.

Silvio Berlusconi also played a major role in sports as the owner and president of AC Milan. Founded in 1899, the club was purchased by Berlusconi in 1986 and experienced unprecedented success under his leadership. In 2017, he sold AC Milan to the Chinese company Rossoneri Sport Investment Lux for approximately 740 million euros.

In Italian politics, Berlusconi founded the Forza Italia political movement in 1993 ahead of the 1994 general elections. He became Prime Minister for the first time in 1994, serving a short seven-month term. He returned to office in 2001, beginning a second and significantly longer premiership. Although he announced his intention to resign on 20 April 2005, he formed a new cabinet three days later and continued in office until losing the 2006 elections.

Following his electoral defeat, Berlusconi returned to power once again after the elections of 14 April 2008. He remained Prime Minister until November 2011, when he lost his parliamentary majority in a confidence vote in the Chamber of Deputies. Across his multiple terms, Silvio Berlusconi became the longest-serving prime minister in Italy’s republican history.

Berlusconi was known internationally for his close personal and political relationships, including his ties with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He notably served as a witness at the wedding of Erdoğan’s son Necmettin Bilal Erdoğan on 10 August 2003.

His career was also marked by violent incidents and legal controversies. In January 2005, he was injured in the ear during an attack by a construction worker in Rome. On 13 December 2009, he was assaulted again after a rally in Milan by an Italian citizen, Massimo Tartaglia, and was hospitalized.

During his time as president of AC Milan, Berlusconi became the central figure in what became known as the “Mediaset trial.” In 2012, he was sentenced to four years in prison for tax fraud related to the buying and selling of American films. Italy’s Supreme Court upheld the conviction in August 2013. Under an amnesty law passed in 2006, the sentence was reduced to one year, and due to his age, he did not serve time in prison but instead fulfilled his sentence through social service.

On 24 June 2013, Silvio Berlusconi was also sentenced to seven years in prison and a lifetime ban from public office for abuse of power and for paying for sex with a minor, Moroccan-born dancer Karima El Mahroug, known by the nickname “Ruby.” As a result of his convictions, the Italian Senate Commission voted to strip him of his seat as senator.

Silvio Berlusconi died on 12 June 2023 at the age of 87 in Milan, Italy, while undergoing treatment for leukemia at San Raffaele Hospital.

Marriages and children:
1st marriage: Carla Elvira Dall’Oglio (m. 1965–1985). Children: Marina Berlusconi (b. 1969), Pier Silvio Berlusconi (b. 1972).
2nd marriage: Veronica Lario (m. 1990–2013). Children: Barbara Berlusconi (b. 1987), Eleonora Berlusconi (b. 1989), Luigi Berlusconi (b. 1991).
3rd marriage: Francesca Pascale (m. 2013).

Awards:
1977 – Italy: Order of Merit for Labour
2001 – Norway: Royal Norwegian Order of Merit
2002 – Poland: Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland
2004 – Malta: National Order of Merit
2005 – Latvia: Order of the Three Stars
2009 – Libya: Al-Fateh Medal

Source: Biyografiler.com