Ted Turner, the billionaire mogul and television trailblazer who founded CNN, the first 24-hour cable news channel, has died, according to CNN. He was 87.
A cause of death was not immediately available, but he was known to be battling Lewy body dementia.
His family said he passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, according to a statement read by CNN's Wolf Blitzer.
"Ted was an intensely involved and committed leader, intrepid, fearless and always willing to back a hunch and trust his own judgment," CNN chairman and CEO Mark Thompson
During his prime, Turner revolutionized modern American cable television. His Turner Broadcasting System helped establish the "superstation" concept and launched channels such as TBS, TNT and Cartoon Network.
Originating in the late 1970s, these stations (such as TBS and WGN) enabled local content to reach a national audience. They often feature movies, reruns, and sports.
He was also a renowned philanthropist and environmentalist. Notably, the CNN founder donated $1 billion to the United Nations and co-founded the Nuclear Threat Initiative, a nonprofit advocacy organization.
Ted Turner Was a Pro Wrestling Pioneer
In addition to his impact on television, Turner played an integral role in boosting the popularity of pro wrestling.
In 1988, Turner founded World Championship Wrestling, which aired on his Superstation WTBS for nearly three decades.
During its heyday, WCW blossomed into one of the most prominent wrestling promotions in the world. Throughout the 1990s, WCW competed in the "Monday Night Wars," an intense television ratings battle with Vince McMahon's WWE.
With Turner at the helm, wrestling icons Sting, Ric Flair Goldberg, Booker T and Kevin Nash all cut their teeth in WCW.
"In his heart, Ted is not a wealthy, powerful, privileged person," Turner's wife, Jane Fonda, told interviewers for "Jane Fonda in Five Acts," an HBO documentary released in 2018. "He's a little boy who likes to play, and who has wild brilliance, and that's what I was attracted to."
Turner is survived by five children, 14 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
