(ANSA) - Rome, March 28 - Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi's declared income has almost doubled since he split from his wife, according to tax returns made public by parliament Monday. Berlusconi said last year he earned about 41 million euros in 2009, when his wife Veronica Lario asked for a divorce, claiming he was frequenting minors. The previous year, 2008, the premier had a declared income of 23 million euros. Berlusconi was again way ahead of other party leaders this year, with House Speaker Gianfranco Fini, leader of a small centre-right group, coming second on 186,600 euros and ex-Rome mayor Francesco Rutelli, head of a smaller centrist party, earning 182,000 euros in 2009. The head of the main opposition party, Democratic Party chief Pier Luigi Bersani, was down the rankings with 137,000 euros while his ally Antonio Di Pietro was near the top with 177,000. Designer Santo Versace, a member of Berlusconi's People of Freedom (PdL) party, plunged down from second spot last year with more than five million euros to a comparatively meagre 604,000 euros. His spot on the podium was taken by health-clinic king and newspaper publisher Antonio Angelucci, another PdL member, whose declared income soared from 3.5 to 6.1 million. Berlusconi's top defence lawyer Niccolo' Ghedini was also high up on 1.127 million euros compared to 1.345 million a year previously, but Giulia Bongiorno, a lead lawyer in Amanda Knox's Meredith Kercher murder appeal, posted almost double that with 2.05 million. Ghedini is also a PdL member while Bongiorno, who got seven-time premier Giulio Andreotti off the hook in murder and mafia cases, is in Fini's rival splinter group, the FLI. According to a recent survey from US business magazine Forbes, Berlusconi is Italy's third-richest man with a net worth of $7.2 billion, down from $9 billion last year. Confectioner Michele Ferrero tops the rankings with $18 billion, followed by eyewear tycoon Leonardo Del Vecchio with $11.5 billion. photo: Berlusconi at a Milan trial Monday