Sylvio Berlusconi, Italian politician and owner of multiple media outlets, dies at 86

The three-time prime minister of Italy and media tycoon Sylvio Berlusconi died Monday at age 86 while being hospitalized for chronic leukemia, Breitbart reported.

After making his career in media and sports, he founded the center-right Forza Italia political party in 1994. He became prime minister that year but stepped down after six months when officials started investigating his affairs.

He returned as prime minister in 2001 and served until 2006, the longest term of any Italian PM since World War II. He continued to be involved in politics even as he was continually investigated and eventually convicted of tax fraud in 2013.

Berlusconi owned the AC Milan professional soccer team from 1986 to 2017 and was its most successful manager with 29 trophies and 8 championships. The team memorialized him on its website.

He was known as “Il Cavaliere” (the Knight).

He seems like the Italian version of Donald Trump, and undoubtedly his party will miss his influence.