In 1987, Ted Turner bought a 22,000-acre Montana ranch; two years later, he spent $21 million on a 113,000-acre property to keep it undeveloped

For a figure whose career transformed the world of television and news, Ted Turner’s life was equally extensive away from the screen. The CNN founder and longtime conservationist lived in a collection of expansive ranches and properties in his lifetime, eventually spending his final years on one of his Montana ranches, where he enjoyed fishing.

Turner, who introduced the first 24-hour news station in 1980 and explained it as his “greatest achievement,” became known not only for his media profession but also for his extensive landholdings and environmental work.


At the time of his passing, Turner remained one of the largest landowners in the United States. He owned almost 2 million acres, with an estimated net worth of $2.8 billion, as per Forbes.

Turner’s Vast Landholdings

Much of Turner’s property was spread in large ranches in Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, Montana, New Mexico and South Dakota, as well as Argentina.

His extensive ranch holdings mirrored his long-standing interest in conservation and environmentalism, making his properties a significant part of his life outside the media industry.

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His Final Years in Montana

Turner spent his final years living on one of his Montana ranches. There, he enjoyed fishing while remaining to live amid the expansive scenarios that had become a major part of his life.

Turner’s approach to residence was broad rather than tied to a single home. As he once stated to AD., “I consider the whole planet my home.”

A Lifetime of Different Homes

Turner had many homes and properties throughout his life, and AD visited three of them over the years.

In 2004, Turner welcomed AD to a over 30,000-acre property in north Florida, where he had married Jane Fonda in 1991. Turner and Fonda later divorced a decade after their marriage.

The following year, AD traveled west to visit Turner at Vermejo Park Ranch in New Mexico.

A Legacy Spanning Media and Conservation

Turner’s life brought together two significant areas of influence: media and conservation. He founded CNN and introduced its first 24-hour news station in 1980, an achievement he later known as his “greatest achievement.”

Away from television and news, his vast ranch holdings and environmental interests became another defining part of his public life. His properties stretched in many U.S. states and Argentina, while his privately managed bison herd numbered over 51,000.

Turner’s Final Farewell

Turner passed away on May 6, 2026, at the age of 87. From a media empire that reached around the world to millions of acres of ranchland, Turner’s concept of home went far beyond a single residence.

Source: AD