Ted Turner, the CNN founder who reshaped global news, dies aged 87

Ted Turner, the media entrepreneur who established CNN, died at the age of 87, CNN reported on Wednesday, citing a news release from Turner Enterprises.

In a statement, CNN Worldwide’s chair and CEO, Mark Thompson, stated, “Ted was an intensely involved and committed leader, intrepid, fearless, and always willing to back a hunch and trust his own judgement.”

“He was and always will be the presiding spirit of CNN,” Thompson stated. “Ted is the giant on whose shoulders we stand, and we will all take a moment today to recognise him and his impact on our lives and the world.”

Turner transformed television news by founding CNN, and he went on to become a prolific philanthropist, establishing the United Nations Foundation in 1998 and donating a record $1 billion to the UN.

Ted’s goals in establishing the foundation were to demonstrate the value of investing in the UN, encourage new partners to work with the UN, and promote strong US leadership at the UN.

He also founded the Nuclear Threat Initiative, a non-profit advocacy organisation that describes itself as “a global security organisation working to reduce threats from nuclear, biological, and emerging technology threats imperilling humanity”.

Turner received Time magazine’s Man of the Year award in 1991 for “influencing the dynamic of events and turning viewers in 150 countries into instant witnesses of history”.

Turner sold his media conglomerate, Turner Broadcasting System, which includes CNN, to Time Warner Inc in the 1990s.

In 2018, he revealed that he has Lewy body dementia, a degenerative neurological condition. Turner was briefly hospitalised in 2025 for a slight attack of pneumonia.

CNN reports that Turner is survived by his five children, 14 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.