J. Michael Cline (Image: HBS Health)
James Michael Cline, the entrepreneur who founded the popular movie ticketing service Fandango, died Tuesday in an apparent suicide in Manhattan. He was 64.
The New York Police Department reported that officers responded to a call at the Kimberly Hotel in midtown at 10:19 a.m. They found an unresponsive male with injuries consistent with a fall from a great height. The investigation is ongoing.
Cline jumped from the 20th floor of the hotel, landing in a third-floor courtyard. An apparent suicide note was found, though its contents have not been disclosed.
Cline, a father of six, was known as a “serial entrepreneur” and had most recently been serving as a managing partner at Accretive, a startup funding firm. His death came as a shock to acquaintances and occurred just days after he underwent gallbladder surgery.
The finance executive had homes in Greenwich, Connecticut, and owned multimillion-dollar properties in the Hamptons and Palm Beach, Florida. In December 2020, Cline and his wife purchased a lakefront estate in Palm Beach for $20.75 million.
Cline’s most notable achievement was founding Fandango in 2000 with business partner Art Levitt. The online service revolutionized movie ticket purchasing by partnering with major theater chains, including Loews Cineplex Entertainment, Regal Cinemas, and Cinemark Theaters. Cline remained with the company until 2011.
Although Cline had long since departed, Fandango faced challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic as theater attendance plummeted. The company reportedly attempted to pivot to streaming services, but its parent company NBC-Universal saw profits in Fandango’s category drop by 40.8% in 2020.
A graduate of Cornell University with an MBA from Harvard Business School, Cline had recently been serving as chairman of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
He is survived by his wife, Pamela and their children.
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