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Scandal-Plagued Italian Media Tycoon and Ex-PM Silvio Berlusconi Dies at 86

HeadlineJun 12, 2023

Media tycoon, billionaire and four-time Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has died at the age of 86. Berlusconi was first elected prime minister in 1994, leveraging his unrivaled influence over public opinion in Italy, where he controlled newspapers, magazines and three major TV channels. Throughout his career, Berlusconi faced multiple criminal charges, including abuse of office, bribery, corruption and paying for sex with an underage girl. Most of the charges ended in dismissals after Berlusconi’s government passed laws shielding him from prosecution, but a tax fraud conviction in 2013 barred him from public office for six years.

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