Photo: Ted Turner, Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
Turner made an invaluable contribution to the development of global television. In 1980, he founded CNN, the world’s first 24-hour news channel.
The TV magnate is survived by five children, 14 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
A successful businessman, Ted Turner invested in sports, entertainment. Television and many other assets. His company Turner Broadcasting System created a number of major media assets, including CNN International, TNT, Cartoon Network and Turner Classic Movies. The company merged with Time Warner in 1996 and with AOL in 2001. Turner left management in the early 2000s, and his former assets are now owned by Warner Bros. Discovery.
In addition to business, Turner was known for extensive philanthropic endeavors. The foundation he founded directed hundreds of millions of dollars to environmental projects, sustainable energy development and biodiversity conservation. In 1997, Turner announced a donation of up to $1 billion to the United Nations and created the United Nations Foundation.
The media tycoon owned significant land assets in the United States, including 13 ranches with the largest commercial herd of bison in North America (45,000 animals). Turner invested in renewable energy and developed environmental initiatives in business, among his projects are the Ted’s Montana Grill restaurant chain and the Ted Turner Reserves tourism program.
Ted Turner has received numerous awards for his contributions to media and public affairs, including Time’s 1991 Man of the Year.
