Fandango Founder J. Michael Cline Dead at 64 in Apparent Suicide

J. Michael Cline, the founder of the movie ticket company Fandango, has died at the age of 64.

Authorities report that Cline fell from a luxury hotel in New York City on Tuesday, July 16 2024 in what appears to be a suicide.

Cline, who resided in Palm Beach, Florida, was found “unconscious and unresponsive” at the Kimberly Hotel in Manhattan.

New York City police responded to the scene shortly after 10 a.m. and pronounced him dead at 10:30 a.m. The injuries sustained were consistent with a fall from an elevated position.

The police have indicated that no criminality is suspected, and an investigation is ongoing.

Cline founded Fandango in 2000, a company he left in 2011. Fandango is now owned by NBCUniversal. He was also the founder of Acumen, an outsourcing company for hospital lab operations, and Accolade, a health services vendor.

He served as chairman and director for these companies until recent years.

Additionally, Cline founded Accretive, a start-up funding company, and was a notable figure in conservation as the chairman of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

His passion for wildlife conservation was evident in his public statements, emphasizing the importance of protecting natural habitats.

Cline, a Cornell University and Harvard Business School alumnus, was married to Pamela since 1995, and they had six children. The cause and manner of death will be further clarified by the medical examiner’s office.