Ted
Turner III
Robert Edward "Ted" Turner III was an American media titan, philanthropist, environmentalist, and yachtsman whose vision reshaped the way the world consumed news and television. Brash, restless, and...
Ted remembered.
Robert Edward "Ted" Turner III was an American media titan, philanthropist, environmentalist, and yachtsman whose vision reshaped the way the world consumed news and television. Brash, restless, and famously outspoken — earning him the nicknames "The Mouth of the South" and "Captain Outrageous" — he built one of the most influential media empires of the twentieth century, then devoted the second half of his life to giving much of it away.
Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on November 19, 1938, and raised largely in Savannah, Georgia, Turner inherited his father's struggling billboard business at the age of twenty-four after his father's suicide in 1963. From that single billboard company he would go on to build Turner Broadcasting System — acquiring an obscure Atlanta UHF station and turning it into the country's first cable "superstation," WTBS. In 1980 he launched a venture nearly everyone in the industry dismissed as folly: a 24-hour cable news network. CNN debuted on June 1 of that year and changed television news forever, redefining how the world watched history unfold in real time, from the Challenger disaster to the Gulf War to the fall of the Berlin Wall.
His empire grew to include TNT, Cartoon Network, and Turner Classic Movies. He bought the Atlanta Braves in 1976 and the Atlanta Hawks in 1977, marketing the Braves as "America's Team" and watching them win the World Series in 1995. A champion sailor, he captained Courageous to victory in the 1977 America's Cup. He created the Captain Planet cartoon to teach children about the environment and helped pioneer the reintroduction of bison to the American West, becoming one of the largest private landowners in the United States.
In 1997 he made a gift that startled the world: one billion dollars to the United Nations, founding the UN Foundation. He went on to co-found the Nuclear Threat Initiative, the Captain Planet Foundation, and the Turner Endangered Species Fund. He was married three times — most famously to actress and activist Jane Fonda from 1991 to 2001 — and was the father of five children: Rhett, Laura, Jennie, Teddy, and Beau.
Diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia in 2018, Turner spent his later years on the Montana ranches he loved. He died peacefully on May 6, 2026, surrounded by his family, at the age of 87. He leaves behind a transformed media landscape, vast tracts of restored American wilderness, and a philanthropic legacy that will outlast the empire that funded it.
A life in moments.
Born in Cincinnati, Ohio
Robert Edward "Ted" Turner III was born to Florence (née Rooney) and Robert Edward Turner II, a billboard advertising magnate. The family later moved to Savannah, Georgia, when Ted was nine.
Takes over the family business at 24
At twenty-four, Ted inherited Turner Advertising Company after his father's suicide. The moment defined the rest of his life — a young man suddenly handed a struggling billboard business and the relentless drive that would build it into a media empire.
Buys his first television station
Turner Advertising purchased Channel 17 in Atlanta, an also-ran UHF station. He renamed it WTCG and reinvented it with reruns, old films, and Atlanta Braves baseball — the seed of an empire.
Launches the nation's first "superstation"
Turner used satellite technology to beam WTCG — soon renamed WTBS — to cable systems across the country, creating America's first cable "superstation" and the model for an entire industry.
Wins the America's Cup aboard Courageous
Turner skippered the 12-meter yacht Courageous to a 4–0 sweep over Australia, winning the America's Cup off Newport, Rhode Island. He became one of the most celebrated yachtsmen of his generation.
CNN goes on the air
Cable News Network debuted at 5 p.m. from a converted Jewish country club in Atlanta, anchored by the husband-and-wife duo of David Walker and Lois Hart. Critics dismissed it as "Chicken Noodle News." Within a decade it would change journalism forever.
Marries Jane Fonda
Turner married Oscar-winning actor and activist Jane Fonda — an unlikely pairing of an avatar of American capitalism and an outspoken progressive. They were together for a decade, much of it spent in nature on Turner's Western ranches.
The Atlanta Braves win the World Series
After two decades of Turner's ownership and his marketing of them as "America's Team," the Atlanta Braves defeated the Cleveland Indians in Game 6 to win their first World Series title in Atlanta.
Pledges $1 billion to the United Nations
Turner stunned the philanthropic world with a $1 billion gift to the United Nations, founding the UN Foundation and challenging other billionaires to give more. He later co-founded the Nuclear Threat Initiative and the Captain Planet Foundation.
Reveals Lewy Body Dementia diagnosis
Just before his eightieth birthday, Turner publicly disclosed that he had been diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia, a degenerative neurological disease. He spoke openly about the diagnosis in the hope of raising awareness.
Dies at 87, surrounded by family
Ted Turner died peacefully at his home near Tallahassee, Florida, surrounded by his family. He was 87. He left behind five children, a transformed media landscape, and one of the largest conservation legacies in American history.
The people they loved,
and the people who loved them.
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For the record.
- Born
- November 19, 1938 · Cincinnati, Ohio
- Died
- May 6, 2026 · Tallahassee, Florida
- Age at passing
- 87