CNN Founder Ted Turner Has Died, Leaving Behind a Plot of Land in South Dakota

CNN founder and Hollywood icon Ted Turner died at the age of 87 due to complications from Lewy body dementia. As the creator of the very first 24-hour cable news network, Ted forever changed how the public stays up to date on current events.

Needless to say, Ted was extremely successful and enjoyed a sizable net worth, which he used to buy various properties. One of those pieces of land is located in South Dakota and has sparked the public's interest, particularly due to the fact that it was the filming location of the hit movie Dances With Wolves.

Ted was one of the country's largest individual landowners, thanks in no small part to his South Dakota property. The media mogul possessed a whopping 2 million acres of land at the time of his passing. The South Dakota property, called Bad River Ranch, makes up roughly 148,000 acres of that 2 million total.

Per Bad River Ranch's website, the property "plays a crucial role in bison production and conservation." With one of the largest bison herds in South Dakota, the ranch was purchased "with the aim of restoring range conditions and conserving native and endangered species alongside bison production."

The website goes on to detail the important work the ranch does, including the "grass-finished operation consisting of stocker heifers and young open cows," as well as "reclaiming conventional no-till farm fields." Bad River Ranch states that they are "holistically managed for production" and "all ranch employees are trained in low-stress livestock handling techniques which are implemented during every interaction with the bison."

Ted bought the ranchland back in 2015, as he was expanding his portfolio of properties. At that time, the land was worth approximately $32.4 million, which breaks down to $720 per acre, per the Orange County Register. Although that's quite a hefty price tag, it goes without saying that Ted didn't have any trouble affording it.

With upwards of 13 ranches across the United States, Ted used the land to house bison. In fact, Ted proudly owned the largest bison herd in the world! Those bison provided the meat for his restaurant chain, Ted's Montana Grill. Given that nearly every one of the media mogul's endeavors fed into the next, it's clear to see how he managed to maintain his enormous net worth. Spoken like a man of true wealth, Ted's goal was for his land to pay for itself via sustainable agricultural commerce.

Some of Ted's other ranch locations included Montana, Nebraska, Kansas, New Mexico, and Colorado. Given that Ted's properties are under Turner Enterprises, they will likely continue to operate per usual despite the icon's passing. That said, that decision will obviously be up to his family, as the land-focused nonprofits are currently in the Turner children and grandchildren's hands.