Berlusconi's estranged wife seeks €43m a year divorce deal

London, Nov 27 (ANI): Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's estranged wife Veronica Lario has reportedly demanded just over 3.5 million euros a month (43 million euros a year) in maintenance as a part of their divorce settlement.

According to Corriere della Sera, the 73-year-old media tycoon-turned-politician has contested the demand from ex-wife as exorbitant and is offering between 200,000 euros and 300,000 euros a month instead, reports The Times.

The newspaper said that the sum demanded by Lario was "to enable her to keep up the style of life she has enjoyed until now". However, her lawyer Maria Cristina Morelli refused to comment.

Lario, 53, a former actress, had announced in May that she's separating with Berlusconi, insisting she could no longer remain with a man "who frequents minors".

The allegation was an apparent reference to Berlusconi's friendship with Noemi Letizia, an aspiring actress and model. Berlusconi attended her 18th birthday party in Naples in April and gave her a gold and diamond necklace. Lario also said that her man suffered from sex addiction.

Lario filed for divorce last month.

Berlusconi is also struggling to decide how to his wealth estimated at between 5 billion euros and 8 billion euros between his kids with Lario and first wife Carla.

He has two children by his first marriage - Marina, 43, and Piersilvio, 40 - and three by Lario - Barbara, 25, Eleonora, 24 and Luigi, 21.

He is reported to want to divide his legacy between his families, whereas Lario is thought to want the fortune to be split equally between the children.

Lawyers for Berlusconi are expected to argue that his eldest children are senior managers in his business empire and deserve to benefit more because they have contributed to its growth.

Lario's three children are members of the board of Fininvest, Berlusconi's holding company, with a 7 per cent stake each. He holds 60 per cent and the rest is divided between his eldest children. Lario has no stake in the companies but owns a villa at Macherio outside Milan. (ANI)