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Osage County
Posted: May 07, 2026 2:29 PMUpdated: May 07, 2026 2:29 PM
Ted Turner Leaves Lasting Legacy on Osage Nation
Ty Loftis
Media mogul Ted Turner passed away at the age of 87 on Wednesday. What some may not know though is that Turner will have a lasting Oklahoma legacy, as he sold 43,000 acres to the Osage Nation in 2016. Turner sold the Bluestem Ranch to the Osage Nation Ranch for $74 million.
Turner was unable to be there when the sale became official, but at the time he wrote a letter to Osage Nation Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear that said in part the following:
"As I often say, land is the only thing that lasts, so we've got to treat it well. I know that I'm leaving Bluestem in the right hands and I'm grateful for the relationship we have been able to build with the Osage Nation."
In a 2016 interview Bartlesville Radio conducted with Standing Bear shortly after the land transfer had been finalized, he talked about not only a short term vision for the property, but a long term vision as well.
Ten years later, the Osage Nation is using the land to raise cattle and bison, hunt and fish.
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