ROME - Former populist prime minister and media mogul Silvio Berlusconi, who defied a string of scandals and dominated Italian public life for decades, has died. he was 86 years old.
Berlusconi's Mediaset TV station announced his death on Monday with a smiling photo on its homepage. The cause of death was not immediately revealed.
Italy's longest-serving prime minister, Mr. Berlusconi, founded the country's largest media company and became Italy's highest-ranking 3rd, before using his fame and fortune as a springboard for his political career. It climbed too high.
He survived sex scandals and criminal investigations and remained influential in Italian politics to the end. His party, Forza Italia, helped overthrow then-Prime Minister Mario Draghi in July last year. A few months earlier, he was running for president of Italy.
This came despite years of poor health despite being diagnosed with leukemia in April and having been hospitalized for heart surgery, prostate cancer and COVID-19. Doctors said he was hospitalized on Friday for routine checks for a lung infection.
Political allies paid tribute on Monday to a man who has been the cornerstone of Italian life for more than 40 years, even with wide differences of opinion.
