Ted Turner has died at 87. Photos show the CNN founder's career rise and life

Ben Shimkus Business 06 May, 2026 Americas

Ted Turner, the founder of CNN and a pioneer of 24/7 news, has died at 87. See photos from the billionaire and media mogul's life, career, and legacy.

Ted Turner, the media mogul who founded CNN, talks to a reporter while standing before a UNICEF step-and-repeat. — CNN founder Ted Turner died on Wednesday.
Ben Rose/Getty Images for UNICEF

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

Ted Turner, dressed in a red suit, in a WTCG advertisement. — Ted Turner's first successful run in television came after his acquisition of Channel 17 in 1970.
WTCG

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

Ted Turner, wearing a sailing cap, cups his ear as he listens to onlookers at a yachtsman competition. — Ted Turner competed as a yachtsman. This picture was taken in 1977, when Turner defeated a San Diego sailmaker in two consecutive races.
Original Caption

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

Ted Turner, standing in front of a lectern with a large CNN sign, is putting his hands on his hips and looking into a crowd. — Ted Turner founded Atlanta-based CNN in 1980.
Rick Diamond/Getty Images

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

Ted Turner is sitting with his fingers interlaced inside his home office. — CNN went global in 1985 under Turner's leadership, broadcasting around the world under the title CNN International.
jean-Louis Atlan/Sygma via Getty Images

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

Ted Turner lifts his left hand behind his ear during a press conference. — CNN announced plans to purchase MGM's movie library in 1985. The move angered film historians, as CNN announced plans to colorize famously black-and-white movies like "Casablanca."
Yvonne Hemsey/Getty Images

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

Ted Turner turns to a camera during a press conference. He's wearing a sports-themed tie. — Ted Turner launched several non-cable entertainment television networks in the '80s and '90s, including Cartoon Network, TNT, and Turner Classic Movies.
Steve Allen/Liaison

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

Ted Turner and Al Gore hold a trophy together in 1986. — Ted Turner stands with Al Gore, holding the Goodwill Games trophy. Turner founded the international multi-sport event to rekindle global relationships after the Soviet Union skipped two Olympic Games.
Set Number: X55983

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

Ted Turner, dressed in a blue button-up shirt and a white flat-brim hat, attends a Major League Baseball game. — Ted Turner had runs as an owner of several Atlanta-based sports teams. He had a 31-year stint owning the MLB's Braves, a 19-year run owning the NBA's Hawks, and was the founding owner of the NHL's Thrashers.
Rich Addicks/MLB via Getty Images

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

Ted Turner, dressed in a suit, turns toward a camera next to his then-partner, actor Jane Fonda. — Ted Turner and Jane Fonda were married from 1991 to 2001.
Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images

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

Ted Turner hoists the MLB's Commissioner's Trophy after the Braves won the World Series. — Ted Turner's Atlanta Braves won the World Series in 1995, defeating the Cleveland Indians in six games.
Set Number: X49462

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

Ted Turner on stage with executives at AOL and Time Warner during the 2000 merger announcement. — Ted Turner helped usher in Turner Broadcasting's sale to Time Warner in 1996, followed by a merger with AOL in 2000. The merger failed spectacularly.
credit should read STAN HONDA/AFP via Getty Images

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

A sign outside a Ted's Montana Grill reads 'Now Open!' — Turner opened his first Ted's Montana Grill in January 2002 in Columbus, Ohio.
William Campbell/Getty Images

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

Ted Turner and Jane Fonda smile at each other during a conservation education exercise with a Native American tribe. — Turner built his landholdings in the 2000s while spreading messages about land conservation and the endangerment of wildlife.
William Campbell/Sygma via Getty Images

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