Ted Turner, media tycoon who founded CNN, dies at age 87
Ted Turner built a media empire that included cable channels CNN, TBS and TNT, and he owned the Atlanta Braves for 20 years.
Updated on: May 6, 2026 / 7:56 PM EDT / CBS News
The company said Turner died peacefully surrounded by his family after a long battle with Lewy body dementia, a progressive brain disorder that he revealed he was fighting in 2018. A spokesperson confirmed to CBS News that Turner died in Lamont, Florida, where he owned a vast estate east of the state capital of Tallahassee. CNN first reported Turner's death.
"Ted was an intensely involved and committed leader, intrepid, fearless and always willing to back a hunch and trust his own judgement," CNN Chairman and CEO Mark Thompson said in a statement . "He was and always will be the presiding spirit of CNN. Ted is the giant on whose shoulders we stand, and we will all take a moment today to recognize him and his impact on our lives and the world."
President Trump reacted to Turner's death on social media , calling him "one of the Greats of Broadcast History, and a friend of mine." In the same post, Mr. Trump also criticized the stewardship of CNN, a frequent target of the president's ire, after Turner sold the news outlet.
Turner was never a man to shy away from a challenge — on land or sea.