Ted Turner, the American media mogul who founded CNN and transformed global television news, has died at the age of 87, CNN reported on Wednesday, citing a news release from Turner Enterprises.
In a statement, Mark Thompson, chair and CEO of CNN Worldwide, described Turner as a fearless and decisive leader who reshaped modern journalism.
“Ted was an intensely involved and committed leader, intrepid, fearless, and always willing to back a hunch and trust his own judgment,” Thompson said. “He was and always will be the presiding spirit of CNN. Ted is the giant on whose shoulders we stand.”
Turner launched CNN in 1980, introducing the world’s first 24-hour cable news network. The innovation changed global news reporting, allowing audiences across the world to follow events in real time.
He later built Turner Broadcasting System into a major media empire, which he sold to Time Warner Inc. in the 1990s.
Beyond media, Turner was widely known for his philanthropy. In 1998, he founded the United Nations Foundation and donated $1 billion to support the work of the United Nations. The foundation said his goal was to promote stronger international cooperation and encourage investment in the UN system.
He also established the Nuclear Threat Initiative, a non-profit organisation focused on reducing global risks from nuclear, biological and emerging technological threats.
In 1991, Time magazine named Turner its “Man of the Year” for his influence on global media and his role in making audiences in more than 150 countries instant witnesses to world events.
Turner disclosed in 2018 that he had been diagnosed with Lewy body dementia, a progressive brain disorder. He was briefly hospitalised in 2025 with pneumonia.
He is survived by his five children, 14 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, according to CNN.
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