Media mogul Ted Turner, the founder of CNN and pioneer of 24-hour cable news, has died at the age of 87, according to a statement from Turner Enterprises released on Wednesday.
Turner passed away peacefully at his Avalon Plantation ranch near Tallahassee, Florida, surrounded by family. He had been battling Lewy body dementia since revealing his diagnosis in 2018, telling CBS Sunday Morning that the condition left him “tired” and “exhausted,” with forgetfulness as his most troubling symptom.
Born Robert Edward Turner III in Cincinnati, Ohio, on November 19, 1938, Turner transformed the media landscape in 1980 when he launched CNN, the world’s first 24-hour news network. The bold bet redefined how people consumed breaking news, making real-time global coverage a daily expectation. By 1991, Time magazine named him Man of the Year for “influencing the dynamic of events and turning viewers in 150 countries into instant witnesses of history.” Turner later called CNN the “greatest achievement” of his life.
His media empire expanded beyond news to include TBS, TNT, Cartoon Network, and Turner Classic Movies, as well as ownership of the Atlanta Braves and Atlanta Hawks. He also created the 1990s animated series Captain Planet to promote environmental conservation and became one of the largest private landowners in the United States through his conservation-focused ranching operations.
“Ted was an intensely involved and committed leader, intrepid, fearless and always willing to back a hunch and trust his own judgement,” said Mark Thompson, Chairman and CEO of CNN Worldwide, in a tribute. “He was and always will be the presiding spirit of CNN. Ted is the giant on whose shoulders we stand, and we will all take a moment today to recognize him and his impact on our lives and the world.”
Known as the “Mouth of the South” for his outspoken style, Turner was also a philanthropist who founded the United Nations Foundation and was a vocal advocate for nuclear disarmament and environmental causes. He was married to actress Jane Fonda in the 1990s and remained a prominent public figure until health challenges forced him to step back from day-to-day business in 2018.
Turner’s fortune peaked at around $10 billion before declining after the AOL-Time Warner merger, though his net worth was still estimated between $2.2 billion and $2.8 billion at the time of his death. Much of his wealth came from vast land holdings and investments in sustainable ranching and hospitality, including the Ted’s Montana Grill restaurant chain.
In his memoir, Turner reflected on his legacy with characteristic candor. “If I had to live my life over there are things I would do differently,” he wrote. “But it’s been a remarkable ride. I have very few regrets.”
