Ted Turner, the brash entrepreneur who built a media empire and founded the Cable News Network (CNN), has died at the age of 87, according to a press release from Turner Enterprises. The announcement was made on May 7, 2026.
Turner, born Robert Edward Turner III on November 19, 1938, in Cincinnati, Ohio, took over his father's billboard business in the 1960s and transformed it into a global media conglomerate. He launched CNN in 1980, pioneering the 24-hour news cycle that changed journalism worldwide.
Beyond media, Turner was a champion sailor, winning the America's Cup in 1977, and owned several professional sports teams, including the Atlanta Braves. He was also a major philanthropist, donating billions to environmental and humanitarian causes through the Turner Foundation and the United Nations Foundation.
Turner's death was confirmed by his family, who requested privacy. No cause of death was immediately released.
