He graduated from the University of Belgrade Faculty of Technology and worked in the rubber factory "Rekord" in Rakovica.

He remained at the forefront of Third Yugoslavia until 1997, though it was generally understood he was a puppet for Serbian president Slobodan Milošević.

After the unsuccessful second round with Vojislav Šešelj he became vice president of the Federal Government in the cabinet of Momir Bulatović, and he remained on this duty until April 1999. year when he was appointed advisor to the President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Slobodan Milošević for economic relations with Croatia.

He left SPS in 2000 founded the Serbian Socialdemocratic Party, which he claims to be following the idea of Svetozar Marković.

Lilić reportedly falsely posed as an envoy or messenger of the Bulgarian president, Georgi Parvanov.