Ted Turner, the former owner of the Atlanta Braves and Hawks who made his mark as a media mogul and a philanthropist, has died at the age of 87.
Turner died Wednesday at his home near Tallahassee, Florida, according to a family spokesman. He died surrounded by his family, according to Turner Enterprises, the company that oversees his vast business interests and investments.
In September 2018, Turner revealed that he was battling Lewy body dementia, an ailment that causes a progressive decline in mental abilities with physical signs and symptoms similar to Parkinson’s disease.
Turner purchased the Braves in January 1976 following a 67-94 season by the club, saying at a news conference: “I don’t want to see any more headlines calling Atlanta ‘Loserville U.S.A.’ I want to see Winnersville U.S.A.,'” He helped open baseball’s free agent price wars by signing pitcher Andy Messersmith shortly after buying the team and once managed the club for a day — May 11, 1977.
The Braves won a World Series in 1995.
“Our good friend and former owner, Ted Turner, was one of a kind — a brilliant businessman, consummate showman and passionate fan of his beloved Braves,” the team said in a statement. “Ted’s visionary leadership and innovative approach to broadcast television transformed the Braves into ‘America’s Team.’
“… We will miss you, Ted. You helped make us who we are today, and the Atlanta Braves are forever grateful for the impact you made on our organization and in our community.”
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) May 6, 2026
In addition to owning the Braves, Turner bought a majority stake in the Hawks in 1977. He said at the time that he purchased the team to keep it from moving out of the Atlanta area. The Hawks made the playoffs 15 times during Turner’s ownership, and the club retired a jersey in honor of him in 2004.
“I am deeply saddened by the passing of Ted Turner — a true original, a visionary, and a force of nature whose impact will be felt for generations,” Hawks principal owner Tony Ressler said in a statement. “… For me personally, owning the Atlanta Hawks and following in his footsteps — even in a small way — has been one of the great honors of my life.”
Turner made his fortune in media, taking over the family business and renaming it Turner Communications Group in 1970. He began his empire by purchasing two stations in Atlanta and Charlotte, North Carolina.
In 1976, he launched TBS to millions across America, as the station’s signal was carried via satellite. Four years later, he furthered his reach by creating the 24-hour cable news network CNN, a move that transformed the news business. TNT, created in 1988, increased Turner’s footprint in the media landscape.
Time Warner assumed ownership of the Braves and Hawks in 1996 when Turner sold his business to the company for $7.3 billion in stock. Turner was promised a continued role in CNN but was gradually pushed out, much to his regret.
A year later, TBS became the owner of the NHL expansion Thrashers, who relocated and became the Winnipeg Jets in 2011.
In 1986, Turner created the Goodwill Games, an international sports competition held every four years; the event ran until 2000. He also ventured into professional wrestling with the purchase of Jim Crockett Promotions in 1988 and renaming it as World Championship Wrestling. WCW served as the main competitor to WWE through the 1990s but ultimately was purchased by WWE in 2001.
Turner was also an accomplished yachtsman. As skipper of the yacht Courageous, he defended the America’s Cup in 1977 by beating Australia 4-0.
Turner focused on philanthropy later in life. In 1997, he pledged $1 billion to benefit the United Nations. Turner was also committed to The Giving Pledge, a commitment by the world’s wealthiest individuals and families to dedicate the majority of their wealth to giving back.
“Ted was an intensely involved and committed leader, intrepid, fearless and always willing to back a hunch and trust his own judgement,” Mark Thompson, chairman and CEO of CNN Worldwide, 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.”
Turner married three times, most famously to Jane Fonda from 1991 to 2001. He is survived by his five children, 14 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
