CNN Founder Ted Turner Dead at 87
Ted Turner, the founder of CNN and Turner Broadcasting System, has died. He was 87.
The media mogul, who pioneered the 24-hour news landscape with CNN, died peacefully on Wednesday, surrounded by his family, according to a news release from Turner Enterprises, CNN shared.
"Ted was an intensely involved and committed leader, intrepid, fearless and always willing to back a hunch and trust his own judgement," 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."
In September 2018, Turner disclosed that he was suffering from Lewy body dementia, a brain disorder that affects memory and other cognitive functions, Variety reported. He had been hospitalized in early 2025 with a mild case of pneumonia, but recovered at a rehabilitation facility.
CNN noted that Turner is survived by his five children, 14 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
How Did Ted Turner Start His Career?
Turner began his career in the billboard industry, following his father's shocking suicide. He took over the family's business, Turner Outdoor Advertising. However, he wanted to start promoting his own businesses, rather than other people's. He started buying radio stations and soon branched into television.
When he came up with the idea for a 24-hour news network, people thought he was insane.
"I worked until 7 o'clock, and when I got home the news was over," he once said, referencing the 6:30 evening newscasts on the big networks, CNN shared. "So I missed television news completely. And I figured there were lots of people like me."
He bet big, and on June 1, 1980, CNN hit the air.
Was Ted Turner Married to Jane Fonda?
Yes! Turner married legendary actress Jane Fonda in 1991. While the couple divorced in 2001, they stayed friends until his death. Fonda always spoke lovingly about Turner, sharing how she believed the mogul had a place in heaven.
"Given his childhood, he should've become a dictator. He should've become a not nice person. The miracle is that he became what he is. A man who will go to heaven, and there'll be a lot of animals up there welcoming him, animals that have been brought back from the edge of extinction because of Ted. He's turned out to be a good guy. And he says he's not religious. But he, the whole time I was with him, every speech – and he likes to give speeches – he always ends his speech with ‘God bless.' And he'll get into heaven. He's a miracle," Fonda shared in The Heaven Promise.
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This story was originally published May 6, 2026 at 10:55 AM.