Ted Turner

Robert Edward "Ted" Turner III was born on November 19, 1938 in Cincinnati (Ohio, USA) in the family of an advertising agency owner.

In 1960, Turner began working for his father's company, heading one of the departments of his agency in Macon, Georgia.

In the late 1960s Turner bought several radio stations and a loss-making television studio in Atlanta. He changed the broadcasting program, acquiring the rights to popular series and movies, and three years later the channel began to make a profit.In the second half of the 1970s, using a signal transmission to a satellite, and through it to cable operators throughout the United States, the channel switched to national broadcasting.urner continued to expand the company, which from 1979 became known as the Turner Broadcasting System (TBS).

In 1980, Turner created a round-the-clock information cable television channel CNN (Cable News Network), the main feature of which was the prompt transmission of news, and later - live broadcast - broadcasting news in real time. So, in 1981, CNN viewers witnessed the assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan, in 1986 - the death during takeoff of the space shuttle "Challenger", in 1989 - the suppression of mass demonstrations of students on Tiananmen Square in Beijing.In 1991, CNN covered virtually around the clock the US and its allies' military operation Desert Storm against Iraq, aimed at restoring Kuwait's sovereignty. When creating CNN, Turner emphasized the objectivity of coverage of events, which made his channel popular all over the world.

In 1985, Turner bought the struggling film company MGM/UA Entertainment for $1.5 billion. Almost immediately, he sold it again, but received a huge film archive. In 1988, he launched Turner Network Television (TNT), which drew audiences from this film library.

In 1991, Turner acquired the Hanna-Barbera cartoon studio, and soon created the Cartoon Network channel for children. In 1993, he added two more film studios to his empire - Castel Rock Cinema and New Line Cinema, and in 1994 launched the Turner Classic Movies channel.

In 1996, TBS was bought by the Time Warner conglomerate for $7.4 billion. Turner received a 10% stake in the new company and became its vice president. In 2000, Time Warner and AOL merged. Turner remained vice president until 2003, and then a member of the board of directors of the media holding, finally leaving him in 2006.

Ted Turner is known in the world of sailing, which he became interested in as a child. In 1977 he won the America's Cup, and in 1979 he won the Fastnet regatta.

Invested in sports teams. Acquired the Atlanta Braves baseball team in 1976 and the Atlanta Hawks basketball team in 1977.

In 1982, he was included in the list of the 400 richest people in America.

In 1986 he became the initiator and sponsor of the Goodwill Games. The idea arose in connection with the boycott of the United States and other Western countries of the Moscow Olympics in 1980 and the USSR's response boycott of the Los Angeles Games in 1984. On July 4-20, 1986, 3 thousand people took part in the first Goodwill Games in Moscow. athletes from 80 countries.

He was actively involved in charity work, took part in the work of organizations fighting for the protection of the environment. In 1997, he created a special fund with a capital of $ 1 billion (about a third of his fortune at that time), which transferred funds to the UN for humanitarian needs - programs to clear anti-personnel mines, fight epidemics, and help refugees.

Has a number of awards and honorary titles. In 1991, Time magazine recognized Ted Turner as Man of the Year. In 2004, his star was unveiled on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Was married three times. His first wife was Judy Gale Nye. They broke up after living for four years (1960-1964). The second marriage to Jane Shirley Smith lasted 23 years (1965-1988). In 1991 he married actress Jane Fonda. They were married for 10 years, it broke up in 2001. He has five children (two in his first and three in his second marriage).

Forbes estimates that Turner is worth about $2.2 billion.