Ted Turner, the man who transformed television news by founding CNN as the first 24-hour cable news channel, has died at age 87.
His death was confirmed in a news release from Turner Enterprises, which said he passed away surrounded by his family. “He charmed people he met with his warmth and general lack of conceit, despite his many successes and celebrity,” the statement read.
“Ted was an intensely involved and committed leader, intrepid, fearless and always willing to back a hunch and trust his own judgment,” said CNN CEO Mark Thompson on Wednesday. “He was and always will be the presiding spirit of CNN.”
Read more: The Taming of Ted Turner
President Donald Trump described the CNN founder as “one of the greats of all time” in a post on Truth Social following the announcement.
The President called Turner “a friend of mine. Whenever I needed him, he was there, always willing to fight for a good cause.”
Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1938, Turner moved with his family to Georgia, where he would later found CNN in Atlanta.
Person of the Year 1991: Ted TurnerDuring a period of global change, CNN broadcast major events including the collapse of the Soviet Union and the First Gulf War, earning Turner TIME’s Man of the Year in 1991 for “influencing the dynamic of events and turning viewers in 150 countries into instant witnesses of history.”
Turner founded the network in 1980 and expanded with more channels, including CNN Headline News, CNN International, and Cartoon Network, in the years that followed.
The media giant also founded TBS and TNT, which still have international audiences today.
Turner suffered from Lewy body dementia
In 2018, Turner revealed in an interview with CBS that he was battling Lewy body dementia, a progressive brain disorder that affects memory and other cognitive functions, and which impacts over 1 million Americans. In January of last year, Turner was hospitalized with a mild case of pneumonia.
Outside of his contributions to the media world, the philanthropist also founded the Turner Foundation, dedicated to environmental conservation and described by Turner Enterprises as being focused on “safeguarding habitats, bettering communities, sustainable living, and environmental protection.”
Building on his commitment to conservation, Turner owned about 2 million acres of land, making him one of the largest landowners in North America. Throughout ranches across the U.S., Turner practiced sustainable water and timber management, as well as fishing, hunting, and the reintroduction of native species. In 1998, the media mogul also founded the United Nations Foundation, an independent charity that works alongside the U.N. on global projects. The year prior, he had pledged $1 billion to the U.N. to assist its programs.
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