J. Michael Cline, co-founder of the movie ticketing app Fandango, died on Tuesday after falling from a 20-story hotel in Manhattan. He was 64. According to NYPD sources, Cline died by suicide after falling from the Kimberly Hotel, an upscale boutique hotel on East 50th Street. A note was found, but its contents were not disclosed.
Cline, a venture capitalist, founded the firm Accretive in 1999 and became an early investor in Fandango the same year. He sold his shares in Fandango to Comcast by 2007, as reported by Variety. Fandango is now controlled by Comcast subsidiary NBC Universal. Cline left the company by 2011, according to his LinkedIn page.
He was also a philanthropist, serving as a trustee for the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and co-founding Panthera, an organization dedicated to saving big cats.
On Tuesday, July 16, the New York Police Department received a 911 call at approximately 10:19 a.m. Upon arrival, they found an unconscious and unresponsive male with injuries consistent with a fall from an elevated position. EMS pronounced Cline deceased at 10:30 a.m.
Cline’s business ventures included being a managing partner at Accretive, which funds start-up companies, and serving as executive chairman at Juxtapose, focusing on building consumer-centered companies. He previously purchased a $20.75 million lakefront estate in Palm Beach with his wife, Pamela B. Cline. The couple, married in 1995, shared six children.
The investigation into his death is ongoing, per NYPD.
If you or a loved one are struggling with suicidal thoughts, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741.
