Details of how Silvio Berlusconi divided up his €6.25bn fortune revealed

Italian tycoon Silvio Berlusconi, who has five children from two marriages, left €100m to his latest partner, Marta Fascina.

Italian former premier and Forza Italia (Go Italy) party leader, Silvio Berlusconi

Details of how billionaire Italian tycoon Silvio Berlusconi divided up his assets have been made public after the will of the former prime minister, who died on June 12, was unsealed.

Under Italian law, the deceased's heirs have a right to inherit two-thirds of his wealth in equal parts, while the individual making the will is free to dispose of the remaining one-third how they please.

Forbes estimated that Berlusconi and family had assets valued at around $6.8bn (€6.25bn), of which around two thirds were held by holding company Fininvest.

Two thirds of the 61% stake he owned in Fininvest — whose assets include investments in broadcaster MediaForEurope, wealth management firm Banca Mediolanum, and Serie A soccer club Monza — are to be divided in equal parts among Mr Berlusconi's five children.

Daughter Barbara Berlusconi, partner Marta Fascina, daughter Marina Berlusconi, and son Luigi Berlusconi follow the casket of Silvio Berlusconi during his state funeral at Milan's Cathedral in northern Italy, on June 14, 2023. Picture: Claudio Furlan/LaPresse via AP

That means the five children each get an additional Fininvest stake of just over 8%, on top of what they already owned. 

Marina Berlusconi chairs Fininvest while Pier Silvio Berlusconi has been in charge of the MediaForEurope (MFE) TV business, which has long been the jewel in the family's crown. 

Barbara, Eleonora, and Luigi Berlusconi, his three children from his second marriage, have been less involved in the family business. Mr Berlusconi also left €100m to his latest partner, Marta Fascina. 

Silvio Berlusconi and his partner Marta Fascina in Milan in 2022. Picture: Alessandro Bremec/LaPresse via AP

He also left €30m to Marcello Dell'Utri, a long-term business partner and close friend who was convicted of mafia collusion in 2014. 

Silvio Berlusconi's property assets include Villa San Martino, in the town of Arcore close to Milan, where his ashes are housed in the family mausoleum. Other properties include Villa Certosa on Sardinia's Costa Smeralda, where he hosted leaders including Russian president Vladimir Putin and former British prime minister Tony Blair. 

Mr Berlusconi, who died at the age of 86, made his inheritance decision back in 2006, a copy of the will showed. He signed off his bequest with the words: "Thanks, so much love to all of you, your Dad." 

Berlusconi's five children had earlier said in a statement that "no shareholder will exercise overall individual indirect control of Fininvest, previously exercised by their father".

MFE's shares on the Milan Stock Exchange slipped, but the shares had risen on speculation the family could sell its stake, but MFE's Pier Silvio had said this week that a sale had never been discussed and the company would stick to its European growth plans. 

Reuters