Billionaire Richard Mellon Scaife dies

Richard Mellon Scaife, the billionaire Mellon banking heir who funded libertarian and conservative political causes - including a one-time effort to discredit US president Bill Clinton - has died. He was 82.

Mellon published the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, which reported that he died at his home early on Friday, one day after his birthday. Scaife's death comes less than two months after writing a story in his newspaper announcing he had inoperable cancer.

In 2013, Forbes estimated Scaife's wealth at $US1.4 billion ($A1.51 billion).

Although Scaife vilified Clinton during much of his presidency, Scaife later told Vanity Fair magazine that he had lunch with the former president and "never met such a charismatic man" in his life.

Scaife eventually donated $100,000 to the Clinton Global Initiative.