The controversial politician and sports club owner had been diagnosed with leukaemia.
Former prime minister of Italy Silvio Berlusconi has passed away at the age of 86.
Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera broke the news, with the outlet reporting that the politician died on Monday (12 June), four days after being readmitted to the San Raffaele hospital in Milan.
Earlier in the year, he spent 45 days in the hospital, suffering from a lung infection caused by leukaemia.
A media tycoon as well as a politician, Berlusconi served as the prime minister of Italy in four governments from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006 and 2008 to 2011.
Known for his brash personality and populist political style, he was a controversial figure in Italy – with his career being racked by sex scandals, allegations of corruption and a tax fraud conviction.
Despite all this, he managed to make a political comeback in 2017.
Outside of politics, Berlusconi founded Italy’s largest commercial broadcaster Mediaset and owned the football club AC Milan from 1986 to 2017.
At the time of his death, he also owned the football club AC Monza.
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