SouthernWorldwide.com – Media mogul Ted Turner, the visionary founder of CNN and a transformative figure in the broadcasting industry, has passed away at the age of 87. The news was confirmed by his company, Turner Enterprises, on Wednesday.
Turner’s death marks the end of an era for a man who reshaped how the world consumed news and entertainment. While details surrounding his passing were not immediately disclosed, it was publicly known that he had been battling Lewy body dementia since 2018. This progressive neurological disorder affects cognitive functions and can present symptoms similar to Alzheimer’s disease.
“Ted was an intensely involved and committed leader, intrepid, fearless and always willing to back a hunch and trust his own judgement,” stated CNN Chairman and CEO Mark Thompson in a released statement. Thompson emphasized Turner’s enduring spirit, declaring, “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’s life was characterized by a relentless pursuit of challenges, both in the boardroom and on the open seas. His adventurous spirit extended to various significant achievements outside of his media empire.
He famously skippered the yachting team that successfully reclaimed the America’s Cup for the United States in 1977, a significant victory in the world of competitive sailing. Beyond sports and media, Turner demonstrated a profound commitment to environmental conservation. He dedicated vast tracts of land, spanning hundreds of thousands of acres, to the preservation of the American bison, playing a crucial role in the species’ recovery.
His influence in the sports world was also considerable. Turner owned the Atlanta Hawks basketball team for 19 years and the Atlanta Braves baseball team for two decades. During his ownership of the Braves, the team achieved a significant milestone by winning the 1995 World Series, a testament to his dedication to sports franchises.
However, it was the launch of CNN in 1980 that irrevocably altered the media landscape. As the world’s first 24-hour cable news network, CNN revolutionized the dissemination of information, providing real-time news coverage that transformed global communication. This groundbreaking venture established Turner as a true pioneer in the field of broadcast journalism.
“I’m a lot of different people, if you don’t know that by now,” Turner once remarked during a 1979 interview with CBS’ “60 Minutes.” He described himself as a multifaceted individual with numerous distinct personalities, hinting at the complex and dynamic nature of his character.
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Turner was often portrayed as a larger-than-life figure, a hard-drinking, cigar-smoking adventurer with immense financial resources. His bold personality and willingness to take risks were central to his public image.
In a candid “60 Minutes” interview in 2008, Turner humorously acknowledged his tendency to mix up large sums of money, discussing whether he had lost millions of dollars a day or $10 million a day over a two-and-a-half-year period as a major shareholder in AOL Time Warner. The latter proved to be true, highlighting the immense financial scale of his ventures. The dot-com bubble burst in the early 2000s significantly impacted AOL Time Warner, the corporate entity that had absorbed Turner’s former empire.
Turner’s candid and often provocative remarks earned him several memorable nicknames, including “The Mouth From The South” and “Captain Outrageous.” While his business acumen was undeniable, his outspoken nature sometimes made him a polarizing figure, perceived by some as both unlikable and exceptionally resilient.
In 2018, Turner shared a deeply personal revelation with “CBS Sunday Morning” senior contributor Ted Koppel, disclosing his diagnosis of Lewy body dementia. He described his condition as a mild form of dementia, comparable to Alzheimer’s but less severe.
Turner’s personal life included three marriages. Notably, he was married to acclaimed actor and activist Jane Fonda for a decade, from 1991 to 2001. In a 2012 interview with CNN, Turner spoke candidly about Fonda, referring to her as possibly the great love of his life and expressing that he had not moved on from her and doubted he ever would. He reflected on the enduring nature of love, stating, “When you love somebody, and you really love ’em, you never stop loving ’em.”
While Ted Turner’s name will forever be inextricably linked with the global brand of CNN, his personal legacy also included a profound dedication to environmental stewardship. He often expressed that his most significant accomplishment was the preservation of natural habitats through the acquisition and protection of vast wild acreage, an effort that placed him among the leading conservationists in the United States. He viewed land and resources not as possessions, but as temporary trusts, stating, “We don’t own anything, he said, we just borrow it for a while.”
Alex Sundby contributed to this report.
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