TheCable

Silvio Berlusconi, former Italian prime minister, has died at the age of 86.

The media tycoon and politician who served as prime minister of Italy in two governments, died at the San Raffaele hospital in Milan.

He was previously diagnosed with leukemia and was hospitalised due to breathing problems in April.

On Friday, CNN reported that he was hospitalised but not in “critical” condition.

In recent years, the media tycoon has been battling a number of health challenges.

In 2021, the press office of his Forza Italia party reported that he had contracted Covid-19.

In 2016, he was said to have suffered a heart problem which led to a surgery to replace an aortic valve.

He led the centre-right Forza Italia party which entered a coalition under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni after elections in September.

His political career was fraught with scandals, including the tax fraud case which prevented him from holding political office for two years.

Berlusconi was also a former owner of AC Milan, his hometown club which he bought in 1986 and turned into a European football powerhouse.

Under his reign, AC Milan won eight Italian Serie A league crowns and five UEFA Champions League titles.

He sold the club to Chinese investors for £628 million in 2017.