ROME - The ex trophy, second wife of the former prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, Veronica Lario, has been ordered to repay 60 million euros to media mogul whose net worth is estimated at 4.1 billion, judicial sources say.

 The pair were married from 1990 after Berlusconi, looking for a change from his first wife, talent spotted Veronica playing a topless role in a theatre play and had three children. At the end of 2010 when Ms Lario filed for divorce. The marriage was put under strain by Berlusconi’s very public private antics. Lario published an open letter in la Repubblica asking for her then husband to publicly apologise to some women at a television prize ceremony about whom he had made dubious comments.

 In 2013 the divorce was finalised and Berlusconi was ordered to pay Ms Lario as much as 1.4 million euros per month by the Court of Monza. Since their divorce, this sum has added up to a total of 91 million euros, or 50 million after tax.

 A recent change in divorce law prioritises the ability of a woman to survive over maintaining the lifestyle that wives had become accustomed to whilst married. Berlusconi, as a result, moved to undo the prior divorce proceedings in light of the shifted priorities of the law.

 The court has ruled on Thursday that Berlusconi is right and that he should not have to pay Ms Lario the massive sum every month. Beyond this, however, the court order Ms Lario to repay the vast majority of the money that Berlusconi had already given to her. Lario entered the court with a substantial personal wealth but left 60 million euros in debt to her ex-husband.

 The court’s ruling follows the decree that maintenance payments should be decided in reference to four factors: the possession of income of any kind,  possession of property and real estate assets,  the actual capacity and possibilities of personal work in relation to health, age, sex and the independent or autonomous labour market, the stable availability of a homeowner  

 Berlusconi, gearing up for a political come back at age 81, is reported  to be planning to wave his right to the 60 million, after taxes the sum is around 43 million and additional legal fees.

 jp-kvh