The AP reported that Silvio Berlusconi, Italy’s longest-serving prime minister, has died at the age of 86.
Berlusconi was hospitalized on Friday for chronic leukemia after suffering from a series of health issues.
According to the report, Berlusconi was born on September 29, 1936 and made his billions in the media. He was able to break the local monopoly and created his own network, which accounted for approximately 90% of the national market by 2006.
In 1994, he founded the Forza Italia center-right political party and while his first government collapsed after eight months in office, he returned to the leadership spot in 2001, remaining in power for the next five years.
In 2006, following years of economic stagnation, he was ousted by center-left Romano Prodi, only to regain power two years later.
Berlusconi was elected to office one more time at the age of 82 - this time as a member of the European Parliament.
The outspoken Italian leader was considered a close ally of Putin's, with the Russian premier vacationing at his personal estate.
The billionaire entrepreneur was involved in multiple corruption scandals and was often plagued by accusations of partying with younger women. The former premier caused an outrage when he claimed that Western civilization was "superior" to Islam following the 9/11 terror attacks and again in 2003, when he compared his family's legal woes to the Nazi Holocaust.
His businesses included the AC Milan soccer team, film companies, and the country's three largest private TV networks.
While Berlusconi had numerous criminal cases leveled against him, only one led to a conviction. The long-time political leader avoided serving a prison sentence due to his advanced age.