Ted Turner, the brash sportsman and entrepreneur whose ambition and instincts led to a media empire that included groundbreaking news network CNN, has died, CNN reported on Wednesday citing a press release from Turner Enterprises. He was 87.

No cause of death was given.

In September 2018 Turner revealed that he had Lewy body dementia, a degenerative nerve disease.

US President Donald Trump paid homage to Ted Turner, calling him his friend who was there whenever "I needed him."

The Republican also did not miss the opportunity to take a dig at CNN in his statement posted on Truth Social. 

Trump said, "He founded CNN, sold it, and was personally devastated by........

© The News International