silvio berlusconi

Berlusconi's Wife Seeks $65 Million A Year in Alimony

Filed under: Wealth

Back in May, we speculated that Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's wandering eye might cost him millions but the news of just how much money his estranged wife, Veronica Lario, wants is still shocking. The former actress is seeking 43 million euros (around $65 million) each year in alimony.

Lario, who is 20 years his junior, put up with Berlusconi's indiscretion for many years but earlier this year Berlusconi's attendance at an 18-year-old girl's birthday party seems to have been the final straw. The pair have lived separate lives for many years. In fact to find a picture of them in public archives you have to go back several years. In 2007, she was so angry about Berlusconi's overtures to MP Mara Carfagna that she wrote a letter to the newspaper La Repubblica. The couple met in 1980 and married in 1990 and have three children.

Berlusconi has a $6.5 billion fortune and owns Italy's three biggest private TV networks and a host of other businesses. He has five children total and his son and daughter from his first marriage are involved in two of his businesses and his children with Lario, who are all in their early 20s, own stakes in his holding company Fininvest.

Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, has said that Berlusconi, Italy's second-richest man, made a counteroffer of 200,000 euros a month but might go up to 300,000 euros. That's a far cry from the nearly 3.5 million euros a month Lario is seeking.

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Tags: expensive divorce, expensive divorces, ExpensiveDivorce, ExpensiveDivorces, silvio berlusconi, SilvioBerlusconi, veronica lario, VeronicaLario

Italy's Prime Minister In Hot Water Over Jet Getaway

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wealth

Italy's garrulous Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has been caught defending his excesses again. The Wall Street Journal reports that on Thursday Berlusconi admitted that he used a state plane to give guests a ride to his private villa but that because he and other government officials were flying on the jet it was perfectly kosher. Rome prosecutors had launched an investigation to see if Berlusconi abused his powers by letting his guests avail themselves of government aircraft and official security escorts as they were whisked away to the island of Sardinia.

Berlusconi who may be on the brink of an epically messy divorce, is well known for mixing business with pleasure. For the most part Italian voters have tolerated Berlusconi's peccadillos thus far but with the new scandal that includes racy pictures of half-naked women taken at the private villa, public loyalty is being tested. But he remains appealing even amid the economic downturn because no matter what else he is, the politician and businessman who has a $6.5 billion fortune and owns Italy's three biggest private TV networks, is always entertaining.

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Tags: italy, silvio berlusconi, SilvioBerlusconi

Sexy Heiress Running for European Parliament

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wealth

Italy's rakish prime minister / media mogul Silvio Berlusconi has said he wants to see some "fresh faces" in the upcoming 2009 European parliamentary elections, and it appears his wish will be granted. One candidate is 28-year-old Elena Basescu (above), sexy daughter of Traian Basescu, the president of Romania. Dubbed the "Romanian Paris Hilton," she's done some modeling, is quite the party girl and has had many beaus, Spiegel Online reports. In response to critics who say she doesn't have the intellectual firepower needed to represent her country in the European Parliament, her father counters that Elena is "much cleverer than people think." Nice Maserati, too.

Tags: Romania, Silvio Berlusconi, SilvioBerlusconi

Could Berlusconi's Love Of The Ladies Cost Him Billions?

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wealth

It's been no secret that Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi has a wandering eye. But his wife, Veronica Lario, who is 20 years his junior, finally seems to have had enough. Over the weekend, she announced that she wants a divorce apparently angered by Berlusconi's attendance at an 18-year-old girl's birthday party. The pair have lived separate lives for many years. In fact to find a picture of them in public archives you have to go back to 2004.

This is far from the first time that Veronica Lario has vented her frustrations about her husband's behavior. In 2007, she was so angry about Berlusconi's overtures to MP Mara Carfagna that she wrote a letter to the newspaper La Repubblica.

Berlusconi for his part is blustering about, saying that he is not sure if he can forgive his wife this time and the nearly 30-year relationship may be over. The couple met in 1980 and married in 1990 and have three children. Should they divorce a $6.5 billion fortune is at stake. Berlusconi owns Italy's three biggest private TV networks and a host of other businesses. He has five children total. His son and daughter from his first marriage are involved in two of his businesses and his children with Lario, who are all in their early 20s, own stakes in his holding company Fininvest.

Berlusconi's divorce could be one of the most expensive in history, a list that currently includes Michael Jordan and Paul McCartney and is topped by Rupert Murdoch. Maybe he and Mel Gibson need to get together and commiserate.

Tags: divorce, silvio berlusconi, SilvioBerlusconi, veronica lario, VeronicaLario

Sardinia To Drop Luxury Tax For The Wealthy

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wealth

In 2007, the island of Sardinia put luxury taxes in place that affected second homes, private yachts and aircraft. There's a new governor on the Italian island and as part of his budget he is proposing doing away with the tax on mooring luxury yachts and landing private aircraft. Opponents said the taxes scared away the rich who came to stay on the island and hurt tourism.

One person delighting in the potential change is Italy's freespending Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. Berlusconi, who handpicked the new governor, Ugo Cappellacci to run against the previous governor Renato Soru, just happens to own a vacation home on Sardinia.

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Tags: luxury, sardinia, silvio berlusconi, SilvioBerlusconi, taxes