Ted Turner

thumb|Ted Turner in 1999 Robert Edward "Ted" Turner III (November 19, 1938 – May 6, 2026) was an American media mogul and philanthropist. As a businessman, he is known as founder of the Cable News Network more popularly known as CNN, the first 24-hour cable news channel. In addition, he founded WTBS, which pioneered the superstation concept in cable television. As a philanthropist, he is known for his $1 billion gift to support the United Nations, which created the United Nations Foundation, a public charity to broaden domestic support for the UN. Turner served as Chairman of the United Nations Foundation board of directors. Additionally, in 2001, Turner co-founded the Nuclear Threat Initiative with U.S. Senator Sam Nunn (D-GA). NTI is a non-partisan organisation dedicated to reducing global reliance on, and preventing the proliferation of, nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons; he also served as Co-Chairman on the Board of Directors. Quotes Our future is in our hands. We do have global communications, and we know what's going on all over the world, and we know what's right, and we know what's wrong. The question is, are we going to do something about it? As quoted in Television Academy Foundation interview (12 June 1999 & 6 December 1999) If I only had a little humility, I'd be perfect. As quoted in "At Long Last, He's Citizen Ted", Forbes (30 January 2003) I don’t measure success in numbers, but I consider my contributions of more than 1.3 billion dollars to various causes over the years to be one of my proudest accomplishments and the best investment I’ve ever made. Those dollars have improved lives, saved species, fought disease, educated children, inspired change, challenged ideas and opened minds; and at the time of my death, virtually all of my wealth will have gone to charity. Looking back, if I had to live my life over, there are things I would do differently, but the one thing I would not change is my charitable giving. I’m particularly thankful for my father’s advice to set goals so high that they can’t possibly be achieved during a lifetime and to give help where help is needed most. That inspiration keeps me energized and eager to keep working hard every day on giving back and making the world a better place for generations to come. Giving Pledge letter (2010) Climate change is one of the world’s most serious problems – but moving to a cleaner energy future is also one of the world’s greatest business opportunities. Given the scale of the challenge – and the opportunity – we must act now to tackle climate change. … While the problem can sometimes seem overwhelming, we can turn things around – but we must move beyond climate talk to climate action. "Time for Climate Action", UN Foundation (23 September 2014) Quotes about Turner Ted Turner created an unstoppable media revolution for the BENEFIT of all humankind. Throughout nearly 43 years at CNN, working for Ted and his vision has been the proudest achievement of my lifetime. Christiane Amanpour, "Just Remember when Giants Strode the World" x.com (6 May 2026) Just because people get divorced doesn’t mean they stop loving each other … It may be hard for two people to live together, but I can’t ever forget the reasons that made me fall in love with him. … Given his childhood, he should’ve become a dictator. He should’ve become a not nice person. The miracle is that he became what he is. A man who will go to heaven, and there’ll be a lot of animals up there welcoming him, animals that have been brought back from the edge of extinction because of Ted. He’s turned out to be a good guy. And he says he’s not religious. But he, the whole time I was with him, every speech — and he likes to give speeches — he always ends his speech with "God bless." And he’ll get into heaven. He’s a miracle. Jane Fonda, as quoted in "CNN founder Ted Turner, a pioneer of cable TV news, dies at 87", CNN (6 May 2026) Don't let Ted Turner deface my movie with his crayons. Orson Welles, near death request to filmmaker Henry Jaglom, about film colorization of Citizen Kane. Lebo Harlan Citizen Kane:the fiftieth-anniversary album Doubleday 1990 194 978-0-385-41473-9 2009-12-27 External links Ted Turner Category:1938 births Category:2026 deaths Category:Activists from the United States Category:Anti-nuclear weapons activists Category:Brown University alumni Category:Businesspeople from the United States Category:People from Cincinnati Category:Philanthropists from the United States