Robert Edward Turner III, known to the world as Ted Turner, was a visionary American businessman, media proprietor, and philanthropist whose career fundamentally reshaped the landscape of television and global news. As the founder of CNN, the first 24-hour cable news channel, and WTBS, which pioneered the superstation concept, Turner was a true trailblazer. His expansive media empire also included the creation of TNT, TBS, The Cartoon Network, Inc., and Turner Classic Movies, and he famously acquired Jim Crockett Promotions, rebranding it as World Championship Wrestling (WCW), which would go on to challenge the dominance of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in the mid-1990s. He was also the owner of the Atlanta Braves baseball team, which he turned into a nationally beloved franchise that clinched the 1995 World Series.

Born on November 19, 1938, in Cincinnati, Ohio, Turner's path to success was forged in tragedy. In March 1963, at the age of 24, he took over his father's billboard business, Turner Outdoor Advertising, which was then worth $1 million, following his father's suicide. This early responsibility instilled in him a fierce independence and a risk-taking spirit. He moved the company's headquarters to Atlanta, Georgia, and in 1970, his purchase of a struggling UHF station laid the foundation for the Turner Broadcasting System. This venture led to the creation of WTBS, which leveraged satellite technology to beam its signal across the nation, inventing the "superstation" business model and bringing classic films and Atlanta Braves games into homes across America. In 1980, he took his biggest gamble by launching CNN, defying all conventional wisdom at the time. The network would go on to become one of the most prominent and influential news organizations in the world.

Beyond his corporate achievements, Turner was a passionate and generous philanthropist. He famously pledged $1 billion to create the United Nations Foundation, a public charity aimed at broadening U.S. support for the UN, and he served as co-chairman of its board. In 2001, he co-founded the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) with U.S. Senator Sam Nunn, a non-partisan organization dedicated to reducing global reliance on nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons. His charitable giving was so extensive that in 2020, Forbes awarded him a perfect philanthropy score of 5, placing him in an exclusive group of ten Forbes 400 members who have each given away at least 20% of their fortune. He was also the largest private landowner in the United States until 2011, using his vast ranches to amass the world's largest privately owned bison herd, which supplied his Ted's Montana Grill restaurant chain and helped re-popularize bison meat.

Turner was equally known for his larger-than-life personality and controversial statements, which earned him the nicknames "The Mouth of the South" and "Captain Outrageous." He devoted much of his later life to environmental causes, creating the animated series Captain Planet and the Planeteers to promote environmental awareness. His legacy is a complex one, marked by incredible foresight, monumental business success, and a deep commitment to global betterment. Ted Turner passed away on May 6, 2026, leaving behind an indelible mark on media, sports, and philanthropy that continues to influence the world today.