EXCLUSIVE: Radar Rips Lid Off Ted Turner's Insane Feud With Rupert Murdoch — And Why It Erupted Over a Boat Race
Ted Turner and Rupert Murdoch nasty feud has resurfaced.
May 7 2026, Published 4:00 p.m. ET
RadarOnline.com can reveal Ted Turner's explosive feud with fellow media titan Rupert Murdoch began not in a television studio or corporate boardroom, but on the open water during a bitter yacht race – igniting one of the fiercest rivalries in modern media history.
Turner, who has passed away aged 87, and Murdoch, 95, spent decades battling for dominance over the global news business as their competing visions for 24-hour television transformed journalism and politics.
'Ted Believed Murdoch Represented Everything Wrong...'
Turner and Murdoch battled for global dominance over the news business.
Turner, the founder of CNN, regularly attacked Murdoch's right-wing empire and once compared him to Adolf Hitler, while Murdoch built Fox News into CNN's fiercest rival after launching the network in 1996.
The pair's hostility shaped the rise of round-the-clock cable news and fueled years of personal insults, legal disputes and public taunts.
Yet despite the intensity of their clashes, Murdoch stunned many observers following Turner's death by describing him as "a great American and friend."
A longtime media insider told us the rivalry quickly became personal because both men saw themselves as pioneers who refused to back down.
The source added: "Ted believed Murdoch represented everything wrong with sensationalized television news, while Murdoch thought Turner was arrogant and politically self-righteous. Neither man knew how to walk away from a fight, but they respected each other's toughness."
Another insider close to Turner added, "The boat race became symbolic of their whole relationship. Ted felt Murdoch had tried to beat him unfairly, and after that he never trusted him again."
Yacht Race Sparked Years Of Public Feuding
Turner (third from right) with his crew on his yacht Courageous after winning the 1977 America's Cup race.
The feud is said to have erupted during the 1983 Sydney to Hobart yacht race in Australia.
Turner, already a celebrated sailor after winning the America's Cup in 1977 aboard Courageous, entered the race hoping to add another prestigious title to his résumé.
During the closing moments of the race, Turner's yacht Condor ran aground after an encounter with Nirvana, a vessel owned by media executive Marvin Greene and sponsored by Murdoch.
Although Nirvana crossed the finish line first, Turner launched a formal protest claiming the yacht had interfered with his route.
As officials deliberated at Tasmania's Wrest Point Hotel and Casino, Turner is said to have entertained sailors and reporters with discussions about world politics, television, and his friendship with Fidel Castro.
He also offered $100,000 for proof of the existence of the Tasmanian tiger. Turner ultimately won the protest, with Nirvana disqualified and Condor awarded first line honors.
But celebrations quickly descended into chaos at the post-race dinner when a drunken Turner is understood to have launched into what witnesses described as a "long and rambling speech" – attacking Murdoch and challenging him to a televised fistfight in Las Vegas.
CNN V. Fox News
Murdoch launched Fox News in 1996 to compete directly with CNN.
The rivalry escalated dramatically when Murdoch launched Fox News in 1996 as a direct competitor to CNN.
Turner responded by declaring he looked forward to "squishing Rupert like a bug," while accusing Murdoch of using political influence to pressure Time Warner into carrying the new network.
The pair's hostility reached another peak when Turner likened Murdoch to "the late Fuhrer" during comments to journalists, claiming Murdoch used tabloid tactics to destroy opponents.
Murdoch's New York Post retaliated with an editorial questioning Turner's sanity. By 2002, Fox News had overtaken CNN in ratings, a defeat Turner publicly dismissed.
During the Iraq war in 2003, Turner again attacked Murdoch, calling him a "warmonger" and renewing his challenge to a fistfight.
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The two media titans reconciled during a lunch meeting in New York City.
Turner said at the time: "Just because your ratings are bigger, doesn't mean you're better. It's not how big you are, it's how good you are that really counts."
When the phone-hacking scandal engulfed Murdoch's News of the World in 2011, Turner resumed his criticism of the mogul's leadership.
Years later, however, the pair quietly reconciled.
Turner revealed in 2019 he had invited Murdoch to lunch at Ted's Montana Grill in New York, where they "had a great time catching up."
