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Ted Turner Biography

Media Mogul / Philanthropist

Name at birth: Robert Edward Turner III

Ted Turner took over his father's billboard business and in 1970 bought a TV station in Atlanta, Georgia. Among the channels to emerge from Turner Broadcasting are the Cable News Network (CNN), Turner Classic Movies (TCM) and Turner Network Television (TNT). In 1995 Turner Broadcasting merged with media giant Time Warner, and in 2000 Time Warner merged with America Online. Turner also owns the Atlanta Hawks basketball team and the Atlanta Braves baseball team, raises bison in Montana and has pledged a billion dollars of his money to the United Nations. Known as "The Mouth From The South," the flamboyant billionaire has been married three times, most recently to actress Jane Fonda.

Extra credit: In 1977 Turner and his yacht Courageous won the America's Cup race.

We also have profiles on media moguls Rupert Murdoch, Robert Maxwell and Bill Gates.