Berlusconi was born in Milan in 1936 and grew up in a lower middle-class family. His father, Luigi Berlusconi (1908–1989) was a bank employee, and his mother, Rosa Bossi (1911–2008), was a housewife. Berlusconi was the first of the family's three children.

He had his secondary school education at a Salesian college and studied law at the Università Statale in Milan. On campus, he was a bass player. The present Mediaset Chairman and amateur pianist Fedele Confalonieri worked with him to form a group together. He also used to perform as a cruise ship crooner.

In 1965, he married Carla Elvira Dall'Oglio. In 1985, they divorced with two children: Maria Elvira, better known as Marina (born in 1966), and Pier Silvio (1969).

In 1980 Berlusconi began dating actress Veronica Lario, with whom he had three children: Barbara (born in 1984), Eleonora (1986) and Luigi (1988). They married in 1990 after Berlusconi had become a famous entrepreneur. Their wedding was one of most eye-catching social events at the time. One of his best men was former Prime Minister and leader of the Italian Socialist Party Bettino Craxi. In May 2009, Lario announced she was divorcing him, saying she could not remain with a man "who consorts with minors."