Ted Turner, the billionaire media entrepreneur who transformed global television news by founding CNN, has died at the age of 87. According to PEOPLE, Turner Enterprises confirmed that Turner passed away on Wednesday, May 6, 2026.
Born Robert Edward Turner III on November 19, 1938, in Cincinnati, Turner became one of the most influential figures in modern broadcasting. After moving to Savannah, Georgia, as a child, he later took over his father’s billboard advertising business following his father’s death in 1963. That company became the foundation for what would grow into a vast media empire.
Turner entered television in 1970 after purchasing a struggling Atlanta station. By the mid 1970s, he helped pioneer the idea of the superstation, using satellite technology to broadcast programming far beyond a local market. His expanding media business eventually became Turner Broadcasting System, better known as TBS.
His most historic achievement came in 1980 with the launch of CNN, the first 24 hour television news network. The idea was considered risky at the time, but CNN went on to reshape how audiences consumed breaking news around the world. Turner Broadcasting later expanded with CNN Headline News, CNN International, TNT, Cartoon Network, and Turner Classic Movies.
Turner also had deep ties to sports and entertainment. He bought the Atlanta Braves in 1976 to bring more programming to his television station and later became known for his broader influence across American media culture. In 1996, he sold Turner Broadcasting to Time Warner in a deal valued at $7.3 billion in stock.
Beyond business, Turner was widely recognized for philanthropy and environmental advocacy. He founded the Turner Foundation in 1990 to support environmental causes and helped launch Captain Planet and the Planeteers, an animated series aimed at encouraging young people to care about the planet. In 1997, he pledged $1 billion to the United Nations and later helped create the United Nations Foundation.
Turner was also known for his love of sailing and land conservation. He won the 1977 America’s Cup aboard Courageous and was later inducted into the America’s Cup Hall of Fame. According to the 2025 Land Report 100 cited by PEOPLE, he was the third largest individual landowner in the United States, with more than 2 million acres of property and tens of thousands of bison across multiple ranches.
His personal life also drew public attention, including his marriage to actress Jane Fonda from 1991 to 2001. Turner was married three times and divorced three times. In 2018, he revealed that he had been diagnosed with Lewy body dementia, a condition that affects brain function and memory.
Turner received numerous honours during his lifetime, including being named TIME magazine’s Man of the Year in 1991 and induction into the Television Hall of Fame that same year. He was also recognized with a Peabody Award and the Edward R. Murrow Award for Lifetime Achievement in Communication.
Turner is survived by his five children, 14 grandchildren, and two great grandchildren. His legacy stretches across journalism, cable television, environmental work, philanthropy, sports, and global media, marking him as one of the defining media figures of the modern era.
