Silvio Berlusconi, the billionaire media mogul and former Italian prime minister who transformed the nation's politics with polarising policies and often alarmed his allies with his brazen remarks, died on Monday aged 86.
Berlusconi, Italy's longest-serving premier who counted Russian President Vladimir Putin as a friend and gained notoriety for his "bunga bunga" sex parties, had suffered from leukaemia and recently developed a lung infection.
He died at Milan's San Raffaele hospital, where he had been since Friday, at around 0730 GMT. Four of his five children and his brother Paolo had been at his bedside, ANSA reported shortly before his death was announced - as reported by Reuters.
Berlusconi's Forza Italia party is part of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's right-wing coalition, and although he himself did not have a role in government, his death is likely to destabilise Italian politics in the coming months.
His business empire also faces an uncertain future. He never publicly indicated who would take full charge of his MFE company following his death, even though his eldest daughter Marina is expected to play a prominent role.