Italy's disgraced former prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, dies at 86

Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, who faced numerous criminal cases and nearly led his nation to financial ruin, has died at a Milan hospital at the age of 86.

He was found guilty in 2013 of paying for sex with a 17-year-old nightclub dancer, and abuse of power. He was sentenced to seven years in prison, but an appeals court later overturned the conviction.

Following his tax fraud conviction in 2012, Berlusconi was given a four-year prison sentence. However, he got away with a year of community service because in Italy, those over 70 do not generally go to jail.

He still was stripped of his senate seat and banned from running or holding public office for six years, under anti-corruption laws.

Once Italy's richest man, Berlusconi used his television networks and other media holdings to launch his long political career, inspiring both loyalty and loathing.

002