Flamboyant Argentine ex-president Carlos Menem died on Sunday at age 90 after battling long-term health problems, the country’s current President Alberto Fernandez announced in a tweet.

Menem led a tabloid personal life while he pushed Argentina to an economic boom, but his two-term 1989-1999 presidency crumbled under the weight of corruption scandals and he spent years plotting an unlikely comeback.

With his black mane of hair and bushy grey sideburns, Menem at his peak entertained the Rolling Stones at his residence and put Argentina on the international stage, sending troops to the Gulf War and Bosnia.