- Ted Turner, the outspoken founder of CNN and a pioneer of 24/7 news, has died at 87.
- He built a sprawling media empire, owned major sports teams, and helped reshape modern television.
- Turner later became a major philanthropist, donating billions to environmental and global causes.
Ted Turner, the brash founder of CNN who reshaped modern media and earned the nickname "Mouth of the South," died Wednesday. He was 87.
Over a decadeslong career, Turner built business empires that stretched from restaurants to sports franchises and the world's first 24/7 news network.
Here are photos from his expansive life.
1970: Acquires Channel 17
Turner leaped into television in 1970, buying the then-struggling local WTCG Channel 17. He transformed it into a profitable "superstation," eventually called TBS, that helped lay the groundwork for his media empire.
1977: A winning yachtsman
Turner entered his first sailing competition when he was 11 years old, according to the National Maritime Historical Society. He won the "Yachtsman of the Year" award four times and competed in the 1964 Olympic trials.
1980: The founding of CNN
A longtime critic of once-a-night TV news, Turner launched CNN in 1980 so viewers could watch the news anytime.
1985: The launch of CNN International
CNN quickly grew, launching a second channel — now HLN — in 1982 and expanding globally with CNN International in 1985.
1986: Turner buys 4,000 films from MGM
Turner bought MGM's catalog of over 4,000 classic movies in March 1986 for $1.5 billion.
Late 1980s and early 1990s: Turner's non-cable television franchises
As CNN grew, Turner expanded his non-cable television assets. He launched TNT in 1988, Cartoon Network in 1992, and Turner Classic Movies in 1994.
1986: Founding of the Goodwill Games
Turner launched the Goodwill Games in 1986, creating an Olympic-style event aimed at easing Cold War tensions between the US and the Soviet Union.
Mid-1970s through the early 2000s: Sports ownership
Turner owned several professional sports teams — most notably the Atlanta Braves. He helped raise the struggling baseball team's national profile by broadcasting its games on TBS.
1991 to 2001: Marriage to Jane Fonda
Turner was married to actor Jane Fonda from 1991 to 2001, forming one of the era's most high-profile power couples. The couple didn't have any children together, but lived together with their combined eight children from previous marriages. They remained friends after the divorce.
"Just because people get divorced doesn't mean they stop loving each other," Fonda said, per CNN.
1995: Braves win the World Series
Turner's Atlanta Braves won the World Series in 1995, delivering the franchise's first championship since moving to Atlanta. They beat the then-Cleveland Indians in six games.
Early 2000s: Sale to Time Warner and AOL's merger
Time Warner purchased Turner Broadcasting in 1996. Ted Turner, still a major executive at the television network, played a key role in Time Warner's 2000 merger with AOL — a deal that later unraveled and became one of the most notorious corporate failures in history.
Turner, Time Warner's largest individual shareholder, lost billions as the company collapsed during the dot-com bust.
"I lost Jane. I lost my job here. I lost my fortune, most of it. Got a billion or two left," he told CNN.
2002: Opening of Ted's Montana Grill
Turner co-founded Ted's Montana Grill in 2002, a restaurant chain known for its bison burgers and focus on sustainability.
2000s through 2020s: Building up land ownership
Turner became one of the largest private landowners in the US, amassing 2 million acres, according to Land Report. He used much of it for conservation, including his work to reintroduce bison herds to the American plains.
2020s: Late-life charitable work
In his later years, Turner focused on philanthropy, pledging billions to environmental causes and founding the United Nations Foundation.
