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Ted Turner, one of the most influential figures in media history, died on Wednesday at his home near Tallahassee, Florida. He was 87 years old. Turner suffered from Lewy-body dementia, a diagnosis he announced in 2018.
Ted Turner's most significant contribution was the creation of CNN in 1980: the world's first around-the-clock news channel, forever changing the way television news was delivered and consumed. From his base in Atlanta, he built a huge media empire that also included TBS, TNT, Turner Classic Movies and the Cartoon Network.
Turner liked to take risks and repeatedly borrowed large sums to finance bold ventures. Thus, he often balanced on the edge of bankruptcy before coming out richer. He bought the MGM film library in 1986 for $1.5 billion, took over the Atlanta Braves baseball franchise and eventually merged his Turner Broadcasting System with Time Warner in 1996 in a deal worth $7.5 billion.
In addition to his business activities, Turner was a celebrated sailor who won the America's Cup in 1977. He also championed the environment and became one of the largest private landowners in the United States, with more than a million acres as nature preserves. In 1997, he donated a billion dollars to the United Nations. At the time, it was one of the largest philanthropic gifts in history.
He had a turbulent private life with three marriages, including one to actress Jane Fonda. He had a reputation for excessive drinking, infidelity and provocative public statements.
Despite his contradictions and controversies, Turner reshaped modern media, transformed American cable television and left a lasting legacy in both journalism and philanthropy.
Picture: © picture alliance / Newscom | Hutchins Photo