Her Prime Minister husband was never shy about mentioning his wife Veronica in public, and he had alluded at least once to a supposed affair between his wife and opposition politician Massimo Cacciari. In 2007, Veronica began a string of public accusations toward her then-husband and in April 2009 she once again published an open letter, criticizing her husband for consorting with young ladies and defining his chosen candidates for the European Parliament as “shameless rubbish”. On May 3, 2009 it was reported that she had filed for divorce, which under Italian law can only be started after a couple has reached a separation agreement. On May 10, 2010 it was revealed that a separation settlement had been reached, with Silvio Berlusconi accepting alimony payment terms and allowing her to live in their luxury home near Milan, Italy. As part of the settlement with Silvio, Veronica Lario was awarded $160,000 a day in support. That’s $1.6 million per month, roughly $20 million per year.