Following the sad news of Ted Turner’s death, our Founder and CEO, Ben Morton Wright, reflects on the visionary philanthropist whose landmark support for the United Nations Foundation helped redefine global giving, and whose 2017 letter to Talking Philanthropy remains as urgent and resonant today as it was then.
I would like to acknowledge the very sad news that Ted Turner has passed away.
Ted was one of the defining philanthropists of the modern era. His commitment to the United Nations Foundation and his extraordinary $1 billion gift in support of UN causes helped reshape what bold, global philanthropy could look like. He did not simply give at scale; he gave with conviction, with structure and with a profound belief that private capital could help address humanity’s shared challenges.
Ted has a special place in the history of Talking Philanthropy. At our 2017 forum, a letter from him was read to the audience, marking the 20th anniversary of that landmark gift. In it, he wrote that the world was at a crossroads, not unlike the one we face today, and that the UN Foundation remained one of the best platforms for addressing humanity’s common problems.
He encouraged those gathered to “go big and be part of the solution”, and reminded us that by working together, “we have the capacity to change the trajectory of the world.”
Those words feel just as urgent today as they did then.
His legacy has also continued through the next generation. At Talking Philanthropy 2024 in Hong Kong, his granddaughter, Vasser Seydel, played such an important role in our discussions on next-generation philanthropy, bringing with her the same seriousness of purpose and sense of responsibility to the future.
As we mark ten years of Talking Philanthropy in 2026, and as we gather to consider philanthropy’s role in a changing world, it feels right to pause and recognise Ted Turner’s vision, courage and enduring contribution. He understood that philanthropy, at its best, is not simply an act of generosity. It is an act of leadership.
We send our deepest condolences to his family and to all those who worked alongside him. His example will endure as a powerful reminder of what philanthropy can be when it is bold, principled and directed towards the common good.
