The media industry has lost a trailblazer.
Ted Turner—the founder ofCNN—died May 6, according to arelease from Turner Enterprises. He was 87.
“Ted was an intensely involved and committed leader, intrepid, fearless and always willing to back a hunch and trust his own judgement,” Chairman and CEO of CNN WorldwideMark Thompsonsaid in astatement. “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 is survived by his five childrenLaura Turner Seydel,Teddy Turner,Rhett Turner,Beau Turner, andJennie Turner Garlington.
In 2018, Turner shared he had beendiagnosedwith Lewy body dementia, in which protein deposits called Lewy bodies develop in nerve cells in the brain, affecting thinking, memory and movement, according toMayo Clinic.
“It’s a mild case of what people have as Alzheimer’s. It’s similar to that. But not nearly as bad. Alzheimer’s is fatal,” Turner toldCBS Newsat the time. “Thank goodness I don’t have that.”