Ted Turner, the American business magnate and media pioneer who founded CNN and Turner Broadcasting System, has died at the age of 87.
His company, Turner Enterprises, confirmed the news on Wednesday in a statement from the family, saying the billionaire entrepreneur died peacefully and was surrounded by loved ones. He had been battling Lewy body dementia in recent years.
“Ted was an intensely involved and committed leader, intrepid, fearless and always willing to back a hunch and trust his own judgement,” CNN CEO Mark Thompson said. “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.”
Turner, one of the most influential figures in global media, built CNN into the world’s first 24-hour news network and reshaped modern broadcasting through his Turner Broadcasting empire.
He was married three times, including a high-profile marriage to actress Jane Fonda from 1991 to 2001.
