Turner grew up in a wealthy family; his father ran a successful billboard advertising business.
He is said to have enrolled at Brown University in 1956 but was expelled three years later, allegedly for having a woman in his dorm room.
Did Ted Turner’s father commit suicide?
The 83-year-old Turner then joined the family business, which was based in Atlanta, in 1960, and rose through the ranks to become the general manager of one of the company’s branch offices.
Ted’s life became complicated by the death of his sister, who died after a long and painful illness. Following the painful exit of his sister, Ted threw himself into his work and was promoted to assistant manager of Turner Advertising’s Atlanta branch by his father.
Ed Turner’s health was failing, and the merger’s pressures were too much for him. He committed suicide in 1963, leaving Ted Turner, then 24, in charge of a growing but heavily indebted business.
Ted Turner is said to have made a fortune with the then collapsing business and now is regarded as one of the renowned billionaires in America.
