Media Mogul, Philanthropist, and Former WCW Owner Ted Turner Has Passed Away

Ted Turner, the media mogul and former owner of World Championship Wrestling, has passed away at the age of 87. According to a statement from his company, Turner Enterprises, he died peacefully at his home near Tallahassee, Florida, surrounded by family. While an official cause of death was not immediately confirmed, Turner had been battling Lewy body dementia since 2018.

Turner is hailed as one of the most influential figures in wrestling history for his role in the "Monday Night Wars". In 1988, he purchased Jim Crockett Promotions and rebranded it as WCW, ensuring wrestling remained a staple on his TBS "Superstation". Under his ownership, WCW became the first legitimate national rival to Vince McMahon’s WWF (now WWE), providing critical funding and prime-time television slots for his wrestlers. He greenlit Monday Nitro in 1995 on TNT, which directly challenged Monday Night Raw, sparking a historic ratings war that helped professional wrestling reach peak pop-culture popularity. His willingness to invest in top talent like Hulk Hogan led to revolutionary storylines, such as the New World Order (nWo), which forced the WWF to evolve.

Beyond wrestling, Turner was a dominant figure in global media and sports. He launched the first 24-hour news channel, CNN, and pioneered the "superstation" concept with WTBS. He owned the MLB’s Atlanta Braves, leading them to a 1995 World Series title, and the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks.

He also famously pledged $1 billion to the United Nations and founded the United Nations Foundation. The UNF is an independent charitable organization that supports the United Nations by building public-private partnerships and mobilizing support for global causes.