J. Michael Cline, a renowned finance executive and the visionary behind the pioneering ticketing company Fandango, passed away on Tuesday after a tragic fall from a skyscraper hotel in the heart of New York City. The 64-year-old iconoclastic entrepreneur met his untimely end at The Kimberly Hotel on East 50th Street, where emergency responders were dispatched at 10:19 a.m. in response to urgent 911 calls.
According to the New York Police Department, officers discovered a gravely injured man, unconscious and unresponsive, with telltale signs of a fall from a considerable height. The investigation is still ongoing, but several reports suggest that Cline's death was a suicide.
Cline, a Cornell alumnus and Harvard Business School MBA holder, revolutionized the movie-ticketing landscape by founding Fandango in 2000. He steered the company for over a decade, until its acquisition by Comcast in 2007, and remained a pivotal figure until his departure in 2011. Today, Fandango is a joint venture between NBCUniversal and Warner Bros., a testament to Cline's foresight and perseverance.
Beyond Fandango, Cline was a serial entrepreneur, founding numerous companies such as R1 RCM, Accolade, Insureon, Everspring, and Accumen. He was also a founding managing partner of Accretive, LLC and previously held positions as a general partner at General Atlantic and an associate at McKinsey & Company.
At the time of his passing, Cline was serving as the executive chairman of Juxtapose, an investment firm, and the chairman of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. He leaves behind a legacy of innovation, entrepreneurship, and philanthropy, as well as his devoted wife, Pamela B. Cline, and their six cherished children.
The Hollywood Reporter has contacted Fandango for a statement in memory of this remarkable individual.
