The Berlusconi family
The family of former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi consists of his daughters Marina, Barbara and Eleonora, his sons Pier Silvio and Luigi, and Berlusconi's brother Paolo Berlusconi. The family owns a large number of interests in major companies, particularly in the media, finance and sports sectors, primarily in Italy, Spain and Germany. These interests are channelled through the media holding company MediaForEurope (MFE), in which the Berlusconi family owns 50.002% of the voting rights via its central holding company Fininvest, thereby controlling MFE. MFE holds 100 per cent of the shares in the Italian Mediaset and the Spanish Grupo Audiovisual Mediaset España Comunicación, as well as 26.58 per cent of the shares in the German-based ProSiebenSat.1 Media. Through MFE, the family indirectly holds interests in a number of other companies in a wide range of sectors and industries.
Other holdings are also managed by Fininvest, the central holding company of the Berlusconi family. It holds significant interests in various sectors, including media, publishing, finance and insurance in several European countries. These include Banca Mediolanum, a company active in retail banking, insurance and asset management. Also worth mentioning is Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, an Italian publishing group and the largest book publisher in Italy, which consists of around 50 companies. Through its companies, the Berlusconi family has considerable influence in various key industries.
The central figure in the family was Silvio Berlusconi (1936-2023), an influential businessman and politician who served three times as Prime Minister of Italy. He founded the family holding company Fininvest. Berlusconi was known for his considerable influence on the Italian media landscape and politics, with his career characterised by both great success and numerous controversies and scandals. The family patriarch, who died in 2023, also founded the political party Forza Italia, which existed from 1994 to 2009. It was led by Silvio Berlusconi throughout its existence and was strongly aligned with his person. Berlusconi led it to government three times, each time in centre-right coalitions: from 1994 to 1996, from 2001 to 2006 and from 2008. Formally, the party that exists in Italy today, Forza Italia, has nothing in common with Berlusconi's party except for the name. It emerged from the party Il Popolo della Libertà. The name is intended to build on the successes of Berlusconi's long-standing predecessor party Forza Italia. Berlusconi himself was an influential and controversial figure in Italian and European politics and the media during his lifetime. He is best remembered for his affairs and scandals, including the infamous ‘Bunga-Bunga parties’. His children are trying to build on the economic success of the family patriarch, just under a year after his death.
Business
Radio
RADIO 105 (Italy)
RADIO MONTE CARLO (Italy)
R101 (Italy)
VIRGIN RADIO (Italy)
RADIO SUBASIO (Italy)
TV
CANALE 5 (Italy)
ITALIA 1 ( Italy)
RETE 4 (Italy)
TGCOM24 (Italy)
20 MEDIASET (Italy)
IRIS (Italy)
LA 5 (Italy)
CINE34 (Italy)
MEDIASET EXTRA (Italy)
FOCUS (Italy)
TOP CRIME (Italy)
ITALIA 2 (Italy)
BOING (Italy)
CARTOONITO (Italy)
TWENTY SEVEN (Italy)
TELECINCO (Spain)
CUATRO (Spain)
BE MAD (Spain)
FDF (Spain)
ENERGY (Spain)
DIVINITY (Spain)
BOING (Spain)
Digital / on demand
MEDIASET INFINITY (Italy)
TGCOM24 (Italy)
SPORT MEDIASET( Italy)
FASCINO (Italy)
METEO.IT (Italy)
MITELE (Italy)
UNITED MUSIC (Spain)
Content
MEDUSA (Italy)
TAODUE (Italy)
MEDITERRANEO (Spain)
Marketing / Advertising
PUBLITALIA ‘80 (Italy)
DIGITALIA (Italy)
MEDIAMOND (Italy)
PUBLIESPAÑA (Spain)
PUBLIEUROPE (Italy)
Media
MediaForEurope (MFE)
Mediaset España
Mesiaset Italia
Holding company
Finninvest
Banking
Banca Mediolanum (30%)
Publishing
Arnoldo Mondadori Editore (Italy)
Family & Friends
Affiliated Interests Family Members Friends
(*1966) the daughter of Silvio Berlusconi, is a prominent Italian businesswoman. She was born in Milan in 1966. She joined the family holding company Fininvest at a young age and has always been involved in the management and business and financial strategies of the group. In July 1996, Berlusconi was appointed deputy chair of Fininvest, a position she held until October 2005, when she became chair. Since February 2003, Berlusconi has been president of Arnoldo Mondadori, one of Italy's largest publishing houses. She is a member of the Administrative Board of Mediaset and was a member of the Administrative Board of Mediobanca until April 2012. Berlusconi plays a decisive role in the management and strategic direction of the family businesses and is considered one of the most influential women in the Italian business world.
(*1969) is the son of Silvio Berlusconi. He was born in Milan in 1969. He began his career in 1992 in the marketing department of Publitalia (the advertising division of the Mediaset Group) and the national channel Italia 1. In 1996, he was appointed director of programme planning and coordination for the three Mediaset channels, and in 1999 he became deputy general director for content at R.T.I.. In April 2000, Berlusconi was appointed Vice-Chairman of Mediaset, in addition to being Chairman and Managing Director of R.T.I.. From May 2012 to June 2014, he was a member of the Administrative Board of Mediobanca and until April 2017 of Medusa Film. Berlusconi is a member of the Administrative Boards of Arnoldo Mondadori Editore and Publitalia ‘80. In June 2014, he again became a member of the Administrative Board of Fininvest. He previously held this position from November 1990 to June 2012. Since April 2015, he has been Vice President and CEO of Mediaset. In this position, he is responsible for the strategic direction and international expansion of the family's media empire. Berlusconi has played a key role in modernising and expanding the family's media activities.
(born 1984) is a daughter of Silvio Berlusconi. She was born in Switzerland in 1984. After graduating from the classical secondary school Istituto Collegio Villoresi San Giuseppe in Monza, she obtained a degree in Philosophy from the University Vita-Salute San Raffaele in 2010. She has been a member of the Administrative Board of Fininvest since September 2003. Until 2017, the Berlusconi family owned the renowned football club A.C. Milan. Under Barbara Berlusconi's leadership, the club won numerous national and international titles. From 2011 to 2017, she was a member of the Administrative Board of A.C. Milan, responsible for special projects. From December 2013 to April 2017, she was Vice President and CEO of the club and Chairwoman of the Fondazione Milan.
(*1988) is a son of Silvio Berlusconi. He was born in Switzerland in 1988. In 2011, he graduated in Economics and Finance from the Università Luigi Bocconi in Milan. From 2007 to 2015, he was a member of the Administrative Board of Mediolanum, which is listed on the Milan Stock Exchange. From 2016 to 2018, he was a member of the Administrative Board of Banca Mediolanum. Since 2012, he has been the managing director of B Cinque. Since 2014, he has also been the chairman of Holding Italiana Quattordicesima, a company in which he was appointed managing director with responsibility for financial management in 2011. From 2010 to 2012, Berlusconi was a member of the Administrative Board of MolMed, which is listed on the Milan Stock Exchange. In 2012, he was appointed a member of the Administrative Board of Fininvest.
Eleonora Berlusconi (*1986) is a daughter of Silvio Berlusconi and is active in the fashion and design sector. She was born in Switzerland in 1986. She graduated in Business Administration from St. John's University, New York, in 2009; educational background: microeconomics, macroeconomics, management, finance, project management. From 2009 to 2015, she worked in various roles at Damiani in New York, Fininvest in Milan, Endemol in New York, Endemol Shine in London and the Milan Foundation. Unlike her siblings, she is less involved in the family's core business and focuses on creative areas. Berlusconi brings her artistic passion to various projects and has found a niche in the creative sector. In 2023, she became a member of the Administrative Board of Fininvest.
Paolo Berlusconi (*1949) is the brother of Silvio Berlusconi and a successful entrepreneur. He has been involved in various business ventures, including as the owner of the newspaper Il Giornale. Paolo Berlusconi has worked in the property sector at times and supports the activities of the family businesses. He plays an important role in the business expansion and management of the Berlusconi family interests.
Further Information
Meta Data
The Berlusconi family owns 50.002% of the votes, but not the shares, of MediaForEurope (MFE) through its holding company Fininvest. The latter holds 26.58 percent of the shares in the German-based ProSiebenSat1 Media, meaning the Berlusconi family only owns 13.29 percent.
