Silvio Berlusconi passes away at 86

Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has passed away at the age of 86, leaving behind a legacy marked by his leadership of Forza Italia and the establishment of Mediaset. According to reports from Italian media, Berlusconi breathed his last at 9:30 a.m. this morning at the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan. His death comes shortly after his readmission to the hospital on Friday for planned medical examinations related to his ongoing battle with chronic leukemia, as confirmed by his doctors, Alberto Zangrillo and Fabio Ciceri.

In a statement, Berlusconi’s doctors emphasized that the tests conducted at San Raffaele Hospital were rescheduled as part of routine medical practice and did not indicate any immediate concerns or alarms. The media tycoon had recently spent an extensive period of 45 days under treatment for a lung infection and chronic leukemia at the same hospital.

He was discharged just three weeks ago, but the challenges posed by his condition, which involves the abnormal production of blood cells, made him susceptible to pneumonia, a common occurrence during induction chemotherapy for acute leukemia.

Silvio Berlusconi, a prominent Italian political and media figure, will be remembered for his multi-faceted career and controversial tenure as the country’s prime minister. The billionaire first came to office in 1994 and led four governments in Italy until 2011.

His passing marks the end of an era, leaving behind a void that will undoubtedly be felt in Italian politics and media landscapes.