Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has died at the age of 86 of leukemia, his spokesman told AFP on Monday.

The Italian billionaire media mogul was taken to a Milan hospital on Friday for what his aides said were pre-planned medical check-ups. He was admitted to the same hospital six weeks ago with leukemia and pneumonia.

Berlusconi has been hospitalized several times in recent years, especially after contracting Covid-19 in 2020. Despite his re-election to the Senate last year, his public appearances were rare.

He served as Prime Minister three times between 1994 and 2011 for a total of nine years, was a senator and head of his right-wing party "Forza Italia" and a partner in the coalition government headed by far-right Giorgia Meloni.

Berlusconi retained a special place in the hearts of many Italians, despite the series of sexual scandals and judicial files that tarnished his reputation over the years.

Berlusconi, the exceptional personality and father of five children from two marriages, found a new girlfriend in 2020, Marta Fassina, a former model who is 53 years younger than him and is a representative of his party, "Forza Italia".

Berlusconi had previously built a marble mausoleum inspired by the pharaohs in his home in Arcuri, near Milan, to bury his family and friends when they died.

However, the details of his burial are still unclear.