Ted Turner, born Robert Edward Turner III on November 19, 1938, in Cincinnati, Ohio, is a media mogul and philanthropist. He was expelled from Brown University in 1960 for having a woman in his dorm room, a violation of school rules at the time. After his expulsion, Turner worked for his father's billboard business, which he took over after his father's death in 1963.
Turner transformed the company into a media empire, founding the Cable News Network (CNN) in 1980, which became the first 24-hour news channel. He also launched TBS (Turner Broadcasting System) and later merged his company with Time Warner in 1996. As of 2026, Turner's net worth is estimated at $2.5 billion by Forbes, though he has donated over $1 billion to philanthropic causes, including the United Nations Foundation.
Turner is also known for his environmental activism, creating the Turner Endangered Species Fund and owning vast tracts of land for conservation. He won the America's Cup in 1977 as skipper of the yacht Courageous. Despite his expulsion, Turner has been a major donor to Brown University, contributing millions over the years.
