Ted Turner, the media visionary who founded CNN and revolutionized 24-hour news broadcasting, died on May 10, 2026, at his home in Atlanta, Georgia. He was 87. The cause of death was not immediately disclosed, but his family confirmed the news in a statement.
Born Robert Edward Turner III on November 19, 1938, in Cincinnati, Ohio, Turner took over his father's billboard business in 1963 and transformed it into Turner Broadcasting System. He launched CNN in 1980, creating the world's first 24-hour cable news network, which changed how news was consumed globally.
Turner was also a champion sailor, winning the America's Cup in 1977 as skipper of Courageous. He owned the Atlanta Braves baseball team and was a major philanthropist, pledging $1 billion to the United Nations in 1997 to support UN causes, a donation that established the UN Foundation.
In later years, Turner faced health challenges, including a 2018 hospitalization for a blocked artery. He remained active in philanthropy and environmental causes, particularly through the Turner Foundation, which focuses on wildlife conservation and climate change.
Turner is survived by his wife, Jane Fonda (whom he married in 1991 and separated from in 2000 but never divorced), and his five children. His legacy as a media pioneer and philanthropist endures.
