ROME, ITALY – OCTOBER 21: Silvio Berlusconi of the “Forza Italia” party arrives at the Quirinal Palace … [+]
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The former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi died Monday at the age of 86.
Berlusconi, who eventually became a billionaire, was not born into luxury. He grew up in Milan in a middle-class family, the son of a bank clerk and a housewife. He studied law at the University of Milan but made his mark in business before moving into politics.
Politics
Berlusconi was elected prime minister of Italy four times—in 1994-95, 2001-05, 2005-06 and 2008-11—for a total of nine years. His tenure made him Italy’s longest post-war prime minister. His party was the center-right party, Forza Italia, which he led for more than a decade; he also directed the revived version in 2013. The name of the match was a joy of football, which literally translates as: “Let’s go, Italy!”
football
It was no coincidence: Berlusconi was a big fan of the beautiful game. His father, he recalled, used to take him to see AC Milan, one of Italy’s historic soccer teams. But history doesn’t always translate into victories. By 1980, AC Milan had been relegated to Serie B, Italy’s second tier, a serious demotion that brought less money and more financial challenges.
Berlusconi bought the team in 1986, saving it from near bankruptcy. He promoted the team constantly, and in his first season, he and the team made a spectacular entrance to the Arena Civica, arriving in helicopters to Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries.”
Paolo Maldini lifting the Champions League trophy, between Silvio Berlusconi, Kakà, Gattuso and … [+]
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It wasn’t all flash. Under his ownership, AC Milan won 29 trophies in 31 years, including eight Serie A titles and five European Cups. After three decades, he agreed to sell his stake in the club to a group of Chinese investors for 740 million euros (then $788 million).
scandals
As Berlusconi’s wealth grew, so did the stories surrounding him.
In 2010, a 17-year-old Moroccan belly dancer named Karima Keyek, better known by her stage name Ruby Rubacuori, or Stealer of Hearts, raised eyebrows when she said that Berlusconi had gave him money and jewels. He also shared details about private parties held at his mansion: the so-called “bunga-bunga” parties he held in his villa. Berlusconi’s second wife divorced him over the scandal, and he he was facing criminal charges related to the payment of a minor for sex; he was initially found guilty, but the verdict was overturned on appeal.
tax fraud
Accusations and scandals followed Berlusconi for years, and nothing seemed to stick, until he was convicted of tax fraud.
The tax fraud scheme involved a number of offshore companies. Berlusconi was accused of using the companies to buy television rights for nearly 3,000 films and, based on the value of those films, claim certain tax breaks. The rights were later resold to related companies at inflated prices, with Berlusconi accused of pocketing the difference. According to prosecutors, it was a deliberate and significant case of tax evasion.
Berlusconi was initially sentenced to four years in prison, a phrase that Berlusconi was referring to “a political judgment, unbelievable and intolerable”. He went on to say, “Without a doubt, it is a political verdict in the same way that all the fabricated cases against me are political.”
His prison term was eventually reduced to one year due to prison overcrowding. And even after the conviction was upheld in 2013 following an appeal, Berlusconi managed to avoid prison. Eventually, his sentence was commuted to community service because of his age.
He was also punished with a hefty fine of 10 million euros and a ban of several years from holding public office.
Berlusconi’s ban on holding public office was due to expire in 2019, but after an appeal by his lawyers, a court in Milan overturned the bannoting that he had been rehabilitated.
More politics, more football, more scandal
In January 2019, aged 82, Berlusconi expressed his intention to throw his hat back into the ring. He announced that he would back to politics “out of a sense of responsibility” to present himself to the European Parliament. He became the longest-serving member of the assembly, but his nominal attendance was less than 59%, missing almost 1,700 votes, more than any other member.
Berlusconi also returned to the game: football. His holding company, Finnvest, took over AC Monza in 2018. The team finished fifth in Serie C, Italy’s third tier, in that first season. At the start of the 2022 season, the team was returning to Serie A, Italy’s top league.
Still, the scandal followed. At the team Christmas party, Berlusconi promised“I’ll bring a bus load of whores” if they won an upcoming game against Inter, Juventus or Milan, their competition. Monza went on to sweep Juventus in the regular league.
Finances and legacy
Around the time of his death, Berlusconi and his family were estimated to have a net worth of $6.8 billion, placing him at number 353 on the Forbes billionaires list.
His wealth may be easy to quantify, but ultimately his legacy is complicated. Perhaps no one expressed it more than former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, who noted on Twitter that Berlusconi could be divisive: “Silvio Berlusconi made history in this country. Many loved him, many hated him: today everyone must recognize that its impact on political but also economic, sports and television life was unprecedented”.
