Liputan6.com, Jakarta - Robert Edward Turner III, also known as Ted Turner, the man behind the founding of Cable News Network (CNN), the world's first 24-hour cable news network, passed away on Wednesday, May 6, 2026.
The American entrepreneur, television producer, media mogul, and philanthropist passed away at the age of 87.
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This sad news comes from his home in Avalon Plantation, Lamont, Florida, where he passed away peacefully surrounded by his family.
While the exact cause of death was not immediately disclosed, Turner was known to have battled Lewy body dementia, a progressive neurological disorder diagnosed in September 2018.
Previously, in January 2025, Ted Turner was hospitalized for pneumonia but recovered successfully in a rehabilitation facility.
A Visionary Media Pioneer
Born Robert Edward Turner III on November 19, 1938, in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, Ted Turner grew up in a family of entrepreneurs.
His father, Robert Edward Turner II, owned a successful billboard business.
When Turner was nine years old, his family decided to move to Savannah, Georgia, where he spent his childhood.
Ted Turner's early education was at McCallie School, an all-boys preparatory school located in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
He continued his academic career at Brown University, but he did not complete his studies and dropped out in 1959.
At the age of 24, he took over the family billboard business, Turner Advertising Company.
Building a Global Media Empire
Ted Turner's revolutionary foray into the media world began in 1970 when he acquired a struggling UHF television station in Atlanta.
In just three years, he transformed the station into one of the most profitable independent stations in the United States.
In 1975, his company pioneered the use of communications satellites to broadcast his station, then known as WTBS or TBS, to a national cable television audience.
Ted Turner's crowning achievement was the founding of Cable News Network (CNN) in 1980. CNN became the world's first 24-hour television news network, revolutionizing the way news was broadcast and consumed.
CNN's role became even more prominent as a primary news source during the 1990-1991 Gulf War, proving the effectiveness of the 24-hour news model.
His media empire continued to expand with the addition of networks such as TNT (Turner Network Television), Cartoon Network, and Turner Classic Movies.
Ted Turner also ventured into the world of sports, owning professional teams such as the Atlanta Braves baseball team since 1976 and the Atlanta Hawks basketball team since 1977.
Under his ownership, the Atlanta Braves even won the World Series in 1995.
In 1996, he sold the Turner Broadcasting System, including CNN, to Time Warner Inc. in a $7.5 billion deal.
Philanthropy and a Lasting Legacy
In 1998, he donated $1 billion to establish the United Nations Foundation, a public charity aimed at expanding American support for the United Nations. This demonstrated his commitment to global issues and world peace.
His concern for global threats was also evident in his founding of the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) in 2001, alongside U.S. Senator Sam Nunn.
This nonprofit organization is dedicated to reducing the threat of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons, reflecting Ted Turner's concern for global security.
Ted Turner is also one of the largest private landowners in the United States, owning over 2 million acres of property.
Much of his land is used for ranching to revitalize bison meat and amass the world's largest bison herd.
He even created the environmental-themed animated series, Captain Planet and the Planeteers, to spread the message of conservation to younger generations.
Personal Life and Global Recognition
In his personal life, Ted Turner was married three times.
One of his most high-profile marriages was to actress Jane Fonda, which lasted from 1991 to 2001.
Despite the marriage's end, he remained a figure of public interest.
In 1991, Time magazine named him "Man of the Year" for "influencing the dynamics of events and turning viewers in 150 countries into instant witnesses to history."
CNN Worldwide CEO Mark Thompson stated that “Ted was an intensely involved and committed leader, intrepid, fearless and always willing to back a hunch and trust his own judgement."