Ted Turner Reveals His Diagnosis

The billionaire founder of CNN says he's been diagnosed with a progressive brain disorder called Lewy body dementia, People reports. In an interview with CBS Sunday Morning, 79-year-old Ted Turner calls it "a mild case of what people have as Alzheimer's. It's similar to that. But not nearly as bad. Alzheimer's is fatal. Thank goodness I don't have that." The media mogul made the admission at his 113,000-acre ranch close to Bozeman, Montana. "But, I also have got, let's—the one that's—I can't remember the name of it," he tells Ted Koppel. Thinking for a second, Turner says, "Dementia. I can't remember what my disease is."

"Tired. Exhausted," Turner says of his symptoms. "That's the main symptoms, and, forgetfulness." But the Atlanta Journal Constitution says Turner may be "downplaying" the disease, which is known to affect sleep, moving, and other cognitive and physical functions; hallucinations and fall-inducing balance problems are also possible. In fact, a 2006 study found that Lewy body dementia can shorten life expectancy more than Alzheimer's. But Turner is still a man with an opinion: "I think they're stickin' with politics a little too much," he says of CNN. "They'd do better to have—a more balanced agenda." He also reveals that he once nearly ran for president, until ex-wife Jane Fonda dissuaded him. See a clip of the interview at CBS News. (More Ted Turner stories.)