Biography of Silvio Berlusconi

Silvio Berlusconi (born 29 September 1936 in Milan; died 12 June 2023 in Milan) was an Italian businessman, media magnate, football executive and politician. He shaped Italy for decades: as founder of Fininvest and Mediaset, as owner of AC Milan and as a repeated prime minister. His career linked economic power, television images, popular address and political self-presentation so tightly that Italy developed a term for it: Berlusconism. That significance is large, but not unburdened. Berlusconi's rise belongs to his story, as do conflicts of interest, trials, political polarization and a final conviction for tax fraud.

Businessman and media power

Berlusconi began as an entrepreneur in construction and real estate. Projects such as Milano 2 gave him early capital and access to a wealthy audience. From there he built his media empire. Telemilano became Canale 5, and later Fininvest and Mediaset grew into a private television system that joined entertainment, advertising and political reach. Berlusconi understood television not only as a business, but as a stage: whoever was present there could shape a country's language, images and daily life.

AC Milan

In 1986 Berlusconi took over AC Milan. Under his leadership the club became one of Europe's most successful teams. Coaches such as Arrigo Sacchi and Fabio Capello, and players such as Franco Baresi, Paolo Maldini, Ruud Gullit, Marco van Basten and Frank Rijkaard, shaped an era in which Milan became a sporting and media symbol of Berlusconi's style: ambitious, expensive, self-confident and aimed at maximum visibility. Football strengthened his public myth long before he became head of government.

Forza Italia and entry into politics

In 1994 Berlusconi founded Forza Italia and entered a political landscape opened by corruption scandals and the collapse of older parties. He presented himself as a successful entrepreneur who could modernize Italy. His first government lasted only a few months, but his political breakthrough endured. Berlusconi showed how party, television communication, personal brand and electoral campaign could merge into a new form of political power.

Governments and conflicts

From 2001 to 2006 and from 2008 to 2011 Berlusconi led further governments. He promised lower taxes, less bureaucracy and spoke to many voters in a language very different from traditional politics. At the same time, his time in office remained marked by conflicts of interest because media power, business interests and government office were hard to separate. The debt crisis and growing international pressure led to his resignation in 2011.

Trials, conviction and return

Berlusconi's career was accompanied by numerous legal cases. Several ended in acquittals, limitation periods or dismissals; in 2013, however, Italy's highest court confirmed a tax fraud conviction connected with Mediaset. The judgment led to political exclusion and badly damaged his standing. He did not disappear entirely. He remained leader of Forza Italia, returned to the European Parliament in 2019 and was elected again to the Italian Senate in 2022.

Farewell

Silvio Berlusconi died at San Raffaele hospital in Milan on 12 June 2023 after treatment for chronic leukemia. He was 86 years old. His political and cultural legacy remains divided: for supporters he stood for entrepreneurship, football success and a direct connection with voters; for critics he stood for concentrated power, media distortion, legal boundary-pushing and a politics that strongly personalized institutions. That division shows how deeply Berlusconi changed Italy.