Robert Edward 'Ted' Turner III (born November 19, 1938, in Cincinnati, Ohio) is an American media proprietor, entrepreneur, television producer, and philanthropist renowned for revolutionizing the broadcasting industry. After inheriting the family billboard advertising company following his father's suicide in 1963, he expanded it into a media empire. Turner entered broadcasting in 1970 by acquiring Atlanta UHF station WJRJ (rebranded as WTBS), which he transformed into the first national 'superstation' via satellite distribution in 1976. His most groundbreaking achievement came in 1980 with the founding of the Cable News Network (CNN), the world's first 24-hour all-news cable television channel, which pioneered 24-hour cable news and fundamentally changed global news consumption. He later founded additional networks like TBS and TNT, and in 1996 sold Turner Broadcasting System to Time Warner for $7.5 billion in stock, becoming a billionaire and vice chairman until 2003. Beyond media, Turner has been a prominent philanthropist and environmentalist, establishing the Turner Foundation in 1990 to support conservation efforts and donating over $1 billion to causes including the United Nations Foundation (created in 1997). An avid sailor, he won the 1977 America's Cup as skipper of Courageous and owned professional sports teams like the Atlanta Braves (MLB) and Atlanta Hawks (NBA) from 1976 to 2003. Turner is also known for his outspoken views on nuclear disarmament, overpopulation, and environmental protection; he has advocated for a 'one-child policy' globally and owns over 2 million acres of land, making him one of the largest private landowners in the U.S., much of it dedicated to conservation. Despite personal controversies, including a highly publicized divorce from actress Jane Fonda in 2001 and past allegations of workplace misconduct, Turner's legacy as a media innovator and generous donor endures.