Media pioneer and CNN founder Ted Turner pledged $1 billion to the United Nations in 1997 after being inspired by a Mississippi washerwoman who donated her $150,000 life savings to college scholarships. His daughter, Laura Turner Seydel, shared the story during a celebration of his life at the UN, noting that her father felt compelled to make a significant contribution after learning how much the woman gave from so little. Because the UN cannot accept direct donations from individuals, Turner's historic gift led t…
Key points
Media pioneer and CNN founder Ted Turner pledged $1 billion to the United Nations in 1997…: Media pioneer and CNN founder Ted Turner pledged $1 billion to the United Nations in 1997 after being inspired by a Mississippi washerwoman who donated her $150,000 life savings to college scholarships.
His daughter, Laura Turner Seydel, shared the story during a celebration of his life at t…: His daughter, Laura Turner Seydel, shared the story during a celebration of his life at the UN, noting that her father felt compelled to make a significant contribution after learning how much the woman gave from so little.
Because the UN cannot accept direct donations from individuals, Turner's historic gift le…: Because the UN cannot accept direct donations from individuals, Turner's historic gift led to the establishment of the United Nations Foundation to direct private funding to UN initiatives.
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Ted Turner’s decision to give $1 billion to the
United Nations in 1997 was inspired by a story he heard about a washerwoman in Mississippi who donated her life savings of $150,000 for college scholarships. His daughter, Laura Turner Seydel, shared that detail at a celebration of his life at the United Nations, where she also revealed that another $3 billion had since been donated to match his original gift, reported the Associated Press (AP).
Turner, who founded CNN and became one of the most influential figures in global media, died in May at the age of 87 after a long battle with Lewy body dementia. His legacy, according to those who knew him, extends far beyond broadcasting and into the world of philanthropy, environmentalism and international cooperation. Read more, as per AP, here:
The story that inspired a billion-dollar gift
Turner’s daughter recounted how her father was moved by the story of the washerwoman, whose act of generosity struck a deep chord with him. He reportedly said that if she could give so much from so little, then he…
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