Media Pioneer Ted Turner’s Legacy Lives On Through the Large Family He Leaves Behind

Ted Turner, the media executive who founded CNN and helped change the way people watch the news, has died at 87. He passed away peacefully on Wednesday, surrounded by his family, according to a statement from Turner Enterprises.

Ted Turner Built CNN and a Media Empire

Turner is best known for launching CNN, the first 24-hour cable news network. The network changed how news is delivered, making round-the-clock coverage the new standard.

Born in Ohio and later based in Atlanta, Turner built a media empire that went beyond news. He created cable’s first superstation and expanded into channels like TNT and TBS, which focused on movies and cartoons. He also owned the Atlanta Braves.

CNN Chairman and CEO Mark Thompson reflected on Turner’s impact in a statement to CNN.

“Ted was an intensely involved and committed leader, intrepid, fearless and always willing to back a hunch and trust his own judgement,” 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 later sold his networks to Time Warner but continued to speak about CNN as a defining part of his career, once calling it the “greatest achievement” of his life.

The CNN Founder’s Family and Personal Life

Turner is survived by five children: Rhett Turner, Laura Turner Seydel, Jennie Turner Garlington, Teddy Turner, and Beau Turner. All of his children are actively involved in his philanthropic work and serve on the board of the Turner Foundation.

In addition to his children, Turner is survived by 14 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Turner was married three times. His marriages included Judy Nye, Jane Shirley Smith, and actress Jane Fonda. Each marriage ended in divorce.

In a 2023 interview with Entertainment Tonight, Fonda reflected on stepping away from acting during their marriage.

“I left for 15 years, when I married Ted Turner, and I did not think I was gonna come back, ’cause when I married him, I thought it’d be forever.”

In September 2018, Turner revealed he was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia in an interview with “CBS Sunday Morning.” “It’s a mild case of what people have as Alzheimer’s. It’s similar to that. But not nearly as bad. Alzheimer’s is fatal,” Turner said of LBD, which is caused by abnormal protein deposits that build up over time and disrupt normal brain function.

“Thank goodness I don’t have that. But, I also have got, let’s — the one that’s — I can’t remember the name of it,” he said, pausing momentarily before adding, “Dementia. I can’t remember what my disease is.”

Ted Turner’s Philanthropy and Environmental Work

Beyond media, Turner was known for his philanthropic efforts and environmental advocacy. He founded the United Nations Foundation and the Nuclear Threat Initiative, organizations focused on global cooperation and reducing nuclear threats.

Turner also created the Captain Planet Foundation to promote environmental education and played a role in conservation efforts across the United States. He became one of the country’s largest private landowners and worked to reintroduce bison to parts of the American West.

His conservation and activism work added another layer to his public legacy, alongside his contributions to media and broadcasting.

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