CNN founder Ted Turner has passed away at the age of 87 following a long battle with Lewy body dementia, according to a statement released by Turner Enterprises.
Death and Medical History
Turner Enterprises announced on Wednesday, May 6, that Ted Turner, the pioneer of cable television and founder of CNN and Turner Broadcasting, Inc., has died at age 87. He passed away following a long struggle with Lewy body dementia, a neurodegenerative disease he first disclosed in 2018.
Earlier in 2025, Turner was hospitalized due to mild pneumonia, though he recovered following medical treatment.
Trump’s Tribute to a Friend
Former U.S. President Donald Trump honored the entrepreneur, calling him one of the greatest people of all time. Trump expressed personal devastation over the sale of CNN, claiming the new owners had transformed his “child” into a “woke” organization.
Trump described Turner as a friend who was always ready to fight for a just cause, adding his hope that new owners might eventually restore the station’s former credibility and glory.
Early Life and Education
Born on November 19, 1938, in Cincinnati, Ohio, to Robert Edward Turner Jr. and Florence Turner, Ted Turner moved to Savannah, Georgia, at age nine. He later attended boarding school, studied at Brown University in Rhode Island, and served in the United States Coast Guard.
He eventually took over his father’s business, Turner Advertising Company, a billboard production firm, after his father’s death.
A Legacy in Broadcasting
After acquiring and selling several radio stations, Turner purchased WTCG, a television channel in Atlanta, Georgia. He built his public profile through the broadcasting of Atlanta Braves baseball games.
In 1980, he founded the Cable News Network (CNN), the world’s first 24-hour global news station. Turner Enterprises noted that he forever changed the news industry and how media is consumed worldwide.
