Media Giant Dead at 87

Ted Turner, the media mogul who launched CNN and shaped cable news into a liberal powerhouse, has died at 87 after battling Lewy body dementia—prompting President Trump’s rare tribute to a broadcasting giant often at odds with conservative values.[6]

Story Highlights

Ted Turner died Wednesday at age 87 at his home near Tallahassee, Florida, following a long fight with Lewy body dementia diagnosed in 2018.[2][3]
Turner Enterprises confirmed the death, noting he passed surrounded by family after recent pneumonia hospitalization.[5][6]
The innovator founded CNN in 1980, revolutionizing 24-hour news but steering it toward globalist and progressive narratives.[3]
President Trump hailed Turner as one of the “greats of all time,” recognizing his media empire that included TBS, TNT, Atlanta Braves, and Hawks.[3][6]
Lewy body dementia, the second most common form after Alzheimer’s, involves protein deposits impairing thinking, memory, and movement.[1]

Turner Enterprises Confirms Death Details

Turner Enterprises announced Wednesday that Ted Turner died at age 87 after a prolonged struggle with Lewy body dementia.[3] The company, which manages his extensive business interests, stated he passed at his home near Tallahassee, Florida.[2] A family spokesman verified the location.[2] Turner disclosed his diagnosis publicly in 2018 during an interview, describing it as a milder form similar to Alzheimer’s.[2][3] He had been hospitalized with pneumonia in 2025, a complication often dangerous for dementia patients.[5]

Multiple outlets including CBS News, ESPN, and WSBTV reported the death consistently on the same day.[1][2][3] One early report listed his age as 81, but all others confirmed 87, aligning with his birthdate of November 19, 1938.[1][2] Turner leaves behind five children, 14 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.[5][6]

Media Empire and Sports Legacy

Ted Turner built his fortune starting with the family business, renaming it Turner Communications Group in 1970.[3] He bought stations in Atlanta and Charlotte, then launched TBS in 1976 via satellite, reaching millions nationwide.[3] In 1980, Turner created CNN, the first 24-hour cable news network, followed by TNT in 1988.[3] These innovations expanded his media footprint dramatically.[3]

Turner owned the Atlanta Braves from 1976 to 2007 and the Atlanta Hawks.[3][5] He defended the America’s Cup in yachting in 1977 and acquired vast land holdings in the American West.[4] Known as the “Mouth of the South,” Turner earned a reputation as a brash pioneer in television.[7]

Philanthropy and Political Influence

Ted Turner founded the United Nations Foundation and donated $1 billion to UN charities, promoting globalist causes that conservatives often criticized as undermining American sovereignty.[4][5] His media outlets, especially CNN, frequently advanced progressive agendas, clashing with traditional values during its early dominance.[3] Despite this, President Donald Trump, in his second term, praised Turner publicly as one of the “greats of all time.”[6]

Turner attended Brown University and later became a philanthropist focused on conservation. His death closes a chapter on a figure who transformed news but whose outlets fueled decades of biased reporting frustrating patriotic Americans seeking fair coverage.[3] No detailed cause beyond dementia was released, with calls for public records like Florida’s death certificate to verify.[2]

Ted Turner, the visionary founder of CNN, has died at the age of 87, according to Turner Enterprises. No cause of death was disclosed, though Turner had previously revealed he was battling Lewy body dementia.#tedturner #cnn #media #breakingnews #obituary #businessnews #Panamá pic.twitter.com/RL9uJ1LRun

— Africa BusinessRadio (@AfricaBizRadio) May 6, 2026

Conservatives recall Turner’s empire with mixed views: groundbreaking innovation met with liberal bias that eroded trust in media institutions central to our republic’s health.