CNN Founder Ted Turner Dead At 87

Ted Turner, the billionaire media mogul who founded CNN, TNT, and TBS, has died, several media outlets reported Wednesday. 

Turner, 87, who is credited with creating the 24-hour news cycle, died on Wednesday at his home near Tallahassee, Florida. In 2018, Turner revealed he had Lewy body dementia, a progressive brain disease.

“Ted was an intensely involved and committed leader, intrepid, fearless and always willing to back a hunch and trust his own judgment,” Mark Thompson, chairman and CEO of CNN Worldwide, said in a statement. “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.”

President Donald Trump commented on the passing of the media mogul, referring to him as “one of the Greats of All Time” in a Truth Social post.

“Ted Turner, one of the Greats of All Time, just died. He founded CNN, sold it, and was personally devastated by the Deal because the new ownership took CNN, his ‘baby,’ and destroyed it,” Trump wrote. “It became woke, and everything that he is not all about. Maybe the new buyers, wonderful people, will be able to bring it back to its former credibility and glory. Regardless, however, one of the Greats of Broadcast History, and a friend of mine. Whenever I needed him, he was there, always willing to fight for a good cause!”

The Ohio-born, Atlanta-based businessman — nicknamed “The Mouth of the South” for his outspoken style — raced yachts, acquired vast tracts of land across the American West, donated $1 billion to establish the United Nations Foundation, and formerly owned the Atlanta Braves.

Turner’s sports empire included professional baseball, basketball, and hockey teams in Atlanta.

Turner purchased the Braves in January 1976 following a 67-94 season by the club, saying at a news conference: “I don’t want to see any more headlines calling Atlanta ‘Loserville U.S.A.’ I want to see Winnersville U.S.A.,'” according to ESPN. The team went on to win the World Series in 1995.

“Our good friend and former owner, Ted Turner, was one of a kind — a brilliant businessman, consummate showman and passionate fan of his beloved Braves,” the team said in a statement. “Ted’s visionary leadership and innovative approach to broadcast television transformed the Braves into ‘America’s Team.’

We’ll miss you, Ted ❤️ pic.twitter.com/ZvQoG6lwh7

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) May 6, 2026

Turner also devoted significant time and resources to environmental conservation efforts.

Through Turner Enterprises, he owned more than two million acres of personal and ranch land in Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Colorado, and South Dakota. 

Before the official launch of CNN, the legendary entrepreneur produced a “Doomsday Video” to be used as the network’s final broadcast at the end of the world. The video features a performance of the Christian hymn “Nearer, My God, To Thee” performed by the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine bands in front of CNN’s original headquarters. The idea was that, in the event of an apocalypse, viewers would see this instead of regular news programming.

CNN prepared a doomsday end of the world video to be broadcast by the last surviving employee. It was leaked by a former intern in 2009. The video, created at the direction of CNN founder Ted Turner before the network’s 1980 launch. pic.twitter.com/8YPtb3P9Nr

— Morbid Knowledge (@MorbidKnowledge) May 25, 2025

Turner, who owned TNT and TBS, reshaped the wrestling industry, launching “Nitro” and scheduling it against “Monday Night Raw” in the same timeslot — a rivalry that became known as the Monday Night Wars, according to Sports Illustrated.

The media tycoon was married and divorced three times, including to actress and activist Jane Fonda.

Turner is survived by his five children, 14 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.