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Ted Turner, the media mogul who revolutionized television journalism with the creation of CNN, passed away this Wednesday at the age of 87 at his residence near Tallahassee, Florida, as confirmed by Phillip Evans, family spokesperson, and Turner Enterprises in an official statement.
Turner announced in September 2018 that he was suffering from dementia with Lewy bodies, a progressive brain disorder with symptoms common to Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. Last year, he was hospitalized for pneumonia, which he was able to overcome after a recovery period in a rehabilitation center. The immediate cause of his passing has not been specified.
Born on November 19, 1938, in Cincinnati, Ohio, under the name Robert Edward Turner III, Turner transformed the family advertising business into an unprecedented media empire.
His most lasting legacy was the launch, on June 1, 1980, of CNN (Cable News Network), the world's first 24-hour cable news channel, a model that would later be emulated by Fox News, MSNBC, and dozens of others around the globe.
The coverage of the first Gulf War in 1991 consolidated CNN as a global news reference by bringing cameras to the front lines with continuous information.
His media conglomerate was much more than CNN: he founded TBS, TNT, Cartoon Network -after acquiring the Hanna-Barbera portfolio in 1992- and Turner Classic Movies, created in 1994 after purchasing MGM's film catalog for 1.5 billion dollars in 1985.
In October 1996, he merged Turner Broadcasting System with Time Warner in a deal valued at $7.3 billion in stock, creating one of the largest media conglomerates in the world. He retired from the company in 2003 and stepped down from the board of directors in 2005.
A little-known historical connection links Turner to Cuba: the idea for CNN International arose in 1982 after a visit to the Island, when Fidel Castro revealed to him that he was following the network through a satellite dish, which made him see the opportunity for a global news channel. CNN International was launched in 1985.
Outside of business, Turner was a leading philanthropist. In September 1997, he announced a donation of $1 billion to the United Nations, the first of its kind made by a private individual, and inspired the modern culture of megaphilanthropy. In 2001, he co-founded the Nuclear Threat Initiative alongside former Senator Sam Nunn.
He was also one of the largest private landowners in the United States, with nearly two million acres spread across eight states and three properties in Argentina, and he owned the largest herd of bison in North America, with 45,000 individuals.
In his personal life, Turner was married three times. His most well-known relationship was with actress Jane Fonda, with whom he was married from 1991 to 2001. He had five children - Rhett, Laura, Jennie, Teddy, and Beau - from his first two marriages, as well as 14 grandchildren and a great-grandchild.
The reactions to the passing quickly rolled in. President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social: "Ted Turner, one of the greatest of all time, has just passed away. He founded CNN, sold it, and was personally devastated by the operation because the new owners took CNN, his 'baby', and destroyed it."
Mark Thompson, president and CEO of CNN Worldwide, stated: "He was and will always be the soul of CNN. Ted is the pillar on whose shoulders we stand."
The host Christiane Amanpour was more emotional: "Do you remember when giants walked the earth? Ted Turner was a giant. I believe he not only changed the world but all of our lives as well."
The death of Turner occurs at a time of deep transformation for his creation: in March 2026, the shareholders of Warner Bros. Discovery approved the sale of CNN to Paramount Skydance, controlled by the Ellison family, in a deal valued at 110 billion dollars.
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