Death and Cause
Ted Turner died peacefully on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, at age 87, surrounded by family according to a statement from Turner Enterprises. While a specific cause of death was not immediately available, Turner was known to be battling Lewy body dementia, a progressive brain disorder he revealed in 2018, just over a month before his 80th birthday. In early 2025, he was hospitalized with a mild case of pneumonia before recovering at a rehabilitation facility.
CNN Founder and Media Legacy
Turner founded CNN, the pioneering 24-hour cable news network that revolutionized television news and made him one of the most impactful media entrepreneurs of the 20th century. His audacious vision to deliver news from around the world in real time, at all hours, fundamentally changed how people consumed news. In 1991, Time magazine named him Man of the Year for influencing global events and turning viewers in 150 countries into instant witnesses of history. Turner called CNN his greatest achievement and continued to express pride in the network even after selling his networks to Time Warner.
Media Empire and Business Ventures
Beyond CNN, Turner built a vast media empire that included cable's first superstation WTCG, Turner Classic Movies, Cartoon Network, and TNT. He owned professional sports teams including the Atlanta Braves and was a skilled yachtsman who won the America's Cup in 1977. By the time of his death, his estimated fortune was $2 billion, down from a peak of approximately $11 billion during the Internet bubble. He was the nation's second-largest landowner after Liberty Media chairman John Malone.
Environmental and Philanthropic Work
Turner was a dedicated conservationist and philanthropist who founded the United Nations Foundation and famously donated $1 billion to the United Nations. He played a crucial role in reintroducing bison to the American west and owned approximately 2 million acres of property across 14 ranches that housed 55,000 bison. He created the Captain Planet cartoon series to educate children about environmental issues and was an activist who sought the worldwide elimination of nuclear weapons.
Personal Life and Character
Born Robert Edward Turner III in Cincinnati on November 19, 1938, he earned the nickname The Mouth of the South for his outspoken nature and sometimes controversial statements. He was often described as a loose cannon and Captain Outrageous for courting controversy, such as comparing Rupert Murdoch to Adolf Hitler. Turner attended Brown University but was kicked out after being caught with a woman in his private quarters, though he eventually earned 46 honorary degrees. He was married to two-time Oscar-winning actress Jane Fonda for a decade. Turner reported having an IQ of 128 and quit alcohol entirely in 2011. 
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