Ted Turner, the Atlanta-born media entrepreneur who built the world's first 24-hour cable news network, died May 6, 2026. He was 87. The cause of his death was Lewy body dementia, a progressive neurological disease, which was disclosed publicly in 2018.
Turner's death leaves a void in the American media history. At the same time, it also raises a pointed question about the fortune he leaves behind. After a lifetime of accumulation, dealmaking, and philanthropy, who actually gets the money?
