Ted Turner, the founder of CNN and media mogul, has died
6 may 2026 в 19:13
Robert Edward Turner III, better known as Ted Turner, earned a solid reputation in the media world. Best known as the founder of CNN, his death left colleagues in mourning. However, his legacy will live on, as will his influence on cable news, as well as the success and wealth he built over the past few decades.
Turner was a media entrepreneur, businessman, philanthropist, and the creator of CNN. He founded the 24-hour news network in 1980.
Turner passed away on May 6, 2026, at the age of 87.
According to Forbes, at the time of his death, his net worth was estimated at $ 2.8 billion.
The deceased businessman began accumulating his fortune by taking control of his late father’s advertising company, known as Turner Advertising. He renamed it Turner Broadcasting. In 1996, he sold the company to Time Warner for $ 7.3 billion. However, his fortune fluctuated after Time Warner acquired AOL in 2001, and the stock prices fell.
Turner is survived by five children, 14 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
He was married several times throughout his life. His most notable marriage was to his third wife, actress and activist Jane Fonda, from 1991 to 2001. This couple was quite unexpected, as Turner was known as a conservative billionaire, while the star of the film «Monster-in-Law» is one of Hollywood’s most active liberal voices.
Just six months before Turner’s death, Fonda spoke highly of him at a charity event in Atlanta. She credited her late ex-husband with the success of their charitable organization, the Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Power and Potential.
«This charity would never have come into existence if it weren’t for Ted», - Fonda said at the event in November 2025. «It was a very difficult time in Georgia. If it weren’t for Ted, if he hadn’t supported me with his love and encouragement, we wouldn’t have survived. Ted is not here, but he is in my heart, and I know he is in the hearts of many of us».
Before marrying Fonda in 1991, Turner was married to his second wife, Jane Shirley Smith, from 1965 to 1988. His first marriage was to Julia Gale Nye, which lasted from 1960 to 1964
Turner was a media entrepreneur, businessman, philanthropist, and the creator of CNN. He founded the 24-hour news network in 1980.
Turner passed away on May 6, 2026, at the age of 87.
According to Forbes, at the time of his death, his net worth was estimated at $ 2.8 billion.
The deceased businessman began accumulating his fortune by taking control of his late father’s advertising company, known as Turner Advertising. He renamed it Turner Broadcasting. In 1996, he sold the company to Time Warner for $ 7.3 billion. However, his fortune fluctuated after Time Warner acquired AOL in 2001, and the stock prices fell.
Turner is survived by five children, 14 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
He was married several times throughout his life. His most notable marriage was to his third wife, actress and activist Jane Fonda, from 1991 to 2001. This couple was quite unexpected, as Turner was known as a conservative billionaire, while the star of the film «Monster-in-Law» is one of Hollywood’s most active liberal voices.
Just six months before Turner’s death, Fonda spoke highly of him at a charity event in Atlanta. She credited her late ex-husband with the success of their charitable organization, the Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Power and Potential.
«This charity would never have come into existence if it weren’t for Ted», - Fonda said at the event in November 2025. «It was a very difficult time in Georgia. If it weren’t for Ted, if he hadn’t supported me with his love and encouragement, we wouldn’t have survived. Ted is not here, but he is in my heart, and I know he is in the hearts of many of us».
Before marrying Fonda in 1991, Turner was married to his second wife, Jane Shirley Smith, from 1965 to 1988. His first marriage was to Julia Gale Nye, which lasted from 1960 to 1964
© Zhinobaeva Margarita
