Ted Turner passed away at this time, Could 6, 2026, on the age of 87. Born in Ohio, he spent most of his grownup life in Atlanta, Georgia, and he was nicknamed “The Mouth of the South” for his outspoken nature. He was married to Jane Fonda from 1991 to 2001, and he or she referred to as him her favorite ex-husband. His media empire was anchored by CNN, the 24-hour information community that modified how People consumed information, and he additionally began common channels for films and cartoons and owned skilled sports activities groups just like the Atlanta Braves. Turner was named Time journal’s Man of the Yr in 1991. He was additionally an internationally recognized philanthropist who based the United Nations Basis and a celebrated conservationist. As information of his passing unfold, tributes from colleagues, former world leaders, and the celebrities who knew him greatest started pouring in.
CNN CEO leads tributes: ‘The large on whose shoulders we stand’
The farewell from the community he based was among the many most shifting. Mark Thompson, Chairman and CEO of CNN Worldwide, described Turner as “an intensely concerned and dedicated chief, intrepid, fearless and at all times keen to again a hunch and belief his personal judgment,” and stated Turner “was and at all times would be the presiding spirit of CNN.” Thompson added that Turner is “the large on whose shoulders we stand.”
Jane Fonda remembers ex-husband Ted Turner: ‘The world is a greater place due to you’
Maybe no public tribute carries extra private weight than that of his ex-wife, actress Jane Fonda. At Turner’s eightieth birthday celebration in 2018, Fonda declared: “You’re a good man, Ted Turner, and the world is a greater place due to you.”
The 2 married in 1991 in a union that stunned many. Ted Turner was often known as a really completed businessman whereas Jane Fonda was undeniably an outspoken progressive activist. Nevertheless, the pair bonded over a shared curiosity in regards to the world. “In his coronary heart, Ted will not be a rich, highly effective, privileged individual,” Fonda had beforehand stated in her HBO documentary, Jane Fonda in 5 Acts, in line with Entertainment Tonight. “He is somewhat boy who likes to play, and who has wild brilliance, and that is what I used to be drawn to.”
Contained in the CNN newsroom: How colleagues remembered Ted Turner’s one rule for journalism
Those that labored contained in the community Ted Turner constructed keep in mind him as a pacesetter who was unconventional however principled. Former CNN chief information govt Eason Jordan referred to as him “a visionary, a trailblazer, a rabble-rouser, a do-gooder.” Former CNN president Tom Johnson provided a window into Turner’s editorial philosophy, reported Georgia Public Broadcasting. When Johnson as soon as requested Turner what his guidelines about information have been, Turner replied: “Tom, one rule: Be truthful.” Pressed for extra, Turner merely stated: “That is it.”
‘As if God have been on his facet’: Media icons react to Ted Turner’s demise
Throughout the media world, those that competed with Turner and admired him in equal measure struggled to search out phrases enough to his legacy. Variety reported that fellow media mogul John Malone captured the sensation succinctly, saying of Turner’s extraordinary run of successes: “It was as if God have been on his facet.”
Ted Turner’s billion-dollar philanthropy legacy: How he impressed Invoice Gates and Warren Buffett
Turner’s affect stretched properly past tv. He redefined what it meant for a billionaire to provide again, making his most dramatic gestures whereas nonetheless very a lot alive and energetic. In accordance with NPR, his philanthropy helped encourage the Giving Pledge championed by Warren Buffett and Invoice Gates, and Turner was amongst its earliest signatories. He donated $1 billion to the United Nations Basis and co-founded the Nuclear Risk Initiative to cut back the chance of weapons of mass destruction around the globe.
Jade McBride of Ted Turner Reserves: He believed that ‘the land has the flexibility to make us higher’
Jade McBride, the president of Ted Turner Reserves, shared an Instagram tribute. McBride said partly, “Ted believed in one thing easy and highly effective: That the lend has the flexibility to make us higher. Due to that perception, bison roam, rivers run clear, and wild locations like Vermejo, Armendaris, Ladder, and Sierra Grande proceed to thrive.”
“I had the privilege of working alongside Ted and witnessing his dedication to the land and to future generations. What he constructed was exceptional. What he restored was much more essential. To these of you who’ve walked our trails, spent quiet time on these landscapes, or felt one thing shift whereas being right here—you’ve skilled his legacy. We’ll carry it ahead with the identical integrity, braveness, and care that he impressed in all of us.”
Ted Turner useless at 87: Survived by 5 kids and a media empire that modified the world
Turner had battled Lewy physique dementia since revealing his analysis in 2018, and in early 2025 was hospitalized with pneumonia earlier than recovering. He handed away following a short hospice keep. He’s survived by his kids Laura, Teddy, Rhett, Jennie, and Beau, together with 14 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
