Media tycoon Ted Turner, best known for founding CNN and reshaping television news with the first round-the-clock cable news network, has died aged 87.
His company, Turner Enterprises, announced on Wednesday, May 6, that he passed away peacefully, with family members by his side.
Here's a look at Turner's net worth, businesses and family.
Ted Turner: Net Worth
Ted Turner had a net worth of $2.8 billion at the time of his death, according to Forbes.
Turner died ranked 1,518th on the global rich list, though he had spent decades among the wealthiest Americans featured in the Forbes 400. After losing his father in 1963, Turner took charge of the family-run billboard enterprise, Turner Advertising, before rebranding it as Turner Broadcasting.
His financial standing weakened considerably after the ill-fated AOL-Time Warner merger in 2001 sent shares tumbling, following his earlier sale of Turner Broadcasting to Time Warner.
ALSO READ: Who Was Ted Turner? The CNN Founder Who Pioneered 24-Hour Television Journalism
As per Celebrity Net Worth, Turner built a vast media empire through the launch and expansion of influential television brands, including CNN, TBS, TNT and Cartoon Network. He later strengthened his portfolio by acquiring MGM's film library, described as one of Hollywood's most valuable collections of content.
In addition to his media ventures, Turner spent decades as the owner of the Atlanta Braves baseball franchise and was also associated with the Atlanta Hawks and Atlanta Thrashers. He further built an enormous land portfolio, with more than two million acres across the US under his ownership.
The launch of CNN in 1980 marked a turning point in broadcast news. Turner's vision of a 24-hour cable news network was initially mocked by competitors, but the channel eventually became a global force. Its extensive coverage of events such as the Challenger explosion, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Gulf War helped cement its reputation.
Ted Turner: Family
As per USA Today, Turner was unmarried at the time of his death, though he had been married three times over the course of his life. His first marriage was to Judy Nye Turner in the 1960s, and the couple had two children, Laura and Robert Edward “Teddy” IV. He later married Jane Smith Turner, with whom he had Beau, Rhett and Jennie, before the relationship ended in 1980. His best-known marriage was to actor Jane Fonda, to whom he was married from 1991 until 2001.
Following the breakdown of his marriages, relationships he later admitted regretting losing, Turner reportedly dated four women at the same time. During a 2012 interview with Piers Morgan on CNN, he joked that managing the “complicated” setup was far from easy.
ALSO READ: CNN Founder And Media Mogul Ted Turner Passes Away At 87
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