Ted Turner, media tycoon who founded CNN, dies at age 87

Ted Turner, media tycoon who founded CNN, dies at age 87

Ted Turner, Media Tycoon Who Founded CNN, Dies at Age 87

·      Early Life and Rise in Media

·      Founding of CNN and Cable News Revolution

·      Expansion into Sports and Entertainment

·      Conservation Efforts and Environmental Legacy

·      Personal Life and Marriage to Jane Fonda

·      Tributes and Legacy

Ted Turner, the legendary media mogul and visionary who transformed global news consumption, has died at the age of 87.

Turner Enterprises confirmed that he passed away peacefully at his estate in Lamont, Florida, surrounded by family, after a long battle with Lewy body dementia, a condition he publicly revealed in 2018.

Turner’s influence on media and culture was monumental. In 1980, he launched CNN, the world’s first 24-hour cable news network, forever changing how news was delivered and consumed.

His empire extended beyond CNN to include TBS, TNT, and Turner Classic Movies, as well as ownership of the Atlanta Braves and Atlanta Hawks. Under his stewardship, the Braves won the 1995 World Series, cementing his role not only as a media innovator but also as a sports impresario.

CNN Chairman and CEO Mark Thompson described Turner as “the giant on whose shoulders we stand,” emphasizing his fearless leadership and enduring impact on journalism.

President Trump also paid tribute, calling him “one of the Greats of Broadcast History, and a friend of mine,” though he criticized CNN’s direction after Turner sold the outlet.

Beyond media, Turner was a multifaceted adventurer. He famously skippered the yacht that reclaimed the America’s Cup for the U.S. in 1977, and he devoted vast tracts of land to conservation, particularly to saving the American bison from extinction.

His environmental legacy was one of his proudest achievements, as he often described himself more as a caretaker than an owner of the land.

Turner’s personal life was equally colorful. He married three times, most famously to actress and activist Jane Fonda. Their decade-long marriage ended in 2001, but Turner later admitted she was the great love of his life.

Fonda, in a heartfelt tribute, described him as a “swashbuckling pirate” who gave her confidence and taught her more than anyone else, adding that she loved him with all her heart.

Known for his brash personality, Turner earned nicknames like “The Mouth From The South” and “Captain Outrageous.” He was as controversial as he was influential, often making off-color remarks but never shying away from challenges. His business ventures were not without setbacks, he lost billions during the AOL Time Warner collapse in the early 2000s, but his resilience and larger-than-life persona remained intact.

Ted Turner leaves behind a legacy that spans journalism, sports, conservation, and philanthropy. He reshaped the media landscape, preserved natural habitats, and lived a life of adventure and boldness.

As Jane Fonda poignantly wrote, he now joins the wildlife he helped save, “gathered at the pearly gates applauding and thanking him for saving their species”