Profile
Silvio Berlusconi: Media Tycoon and Prime Minister
Italian businessman and four-time head of government, born in Milan on 29 September 1936
Silvio Berlusconi was born in Milan on 29 September 1936 and studied law. He made his first fortune in construction, building large housing developments near the city.
He went on to found Mediaset, Italy's biggest commercial broadcaster, and owned the football club AC Milan, which won several European Cups under his ownership.
Entering politics with Forza Italia in 1994, he led four governments over the following years. In 2013 he was convicted of tax fraud and barred from parliament for several years, but returned to the Senate in 2022. He died in 2023.
Career highlights
- 1936Born in Milan
- 1961Graduates in law: and moves into construction
- 1978Founds a national TV network: later Mediaset
- 1986Buys AC Milan: beginning a golden era for the club
- 1994Forza Italia: becomes prime minister for the first time
- 2001Returns to power: his longest-lasting government
- 2011Resigns: amid a debt crisis
- 2013Tax fraud conviction: barred from parliament
- 2023Dies in Milan: aged 86
Did you know?AC Milan won five European Cup or Champions League titles during his three decades as owner.