Tycoon, 64, leaves note then jumps to his death from luxury Manhattan hotel after his movie-ticketing business was ravaged by COVID
A father-of-six jumped to his death from the 20th floor of a luxury hotel in Midtown Manhattan.
J. Michael Cline, the 64-year-old co-founder of movie-ticketing firm Fandango, leaped from The Kimberly Hotel, landing in a courtyard on the third floor, on Tuesday morning.
Cline's business had struggled during the pandemic which saw movie theaters shutter or forced to follow restrictions on the number of audience numbers allowed for almost two years.
Cline, who was a 'serial entrepreneur' and managing partner at the startup-funding firm Accretive, is said to have left a note before taking his life.
The contents of the note were not made public as of Wednesday.
J. Michael Cline, the 64-year-old co-founder of movie-ticketing firm Fandango, leaped from The Kimberly Hotel, landing in a courtyard on the third floor, on Tuesday morning
Cline's body was brought out from a courtyard in the hotel and taken away by the New York Medical Examiner
Cline's wealth saw him owning several multi-million dollar homes in the Hamptons on New York's Long Island, Greenwich, Connecticut and Palm Beach, Florida.
One of the homes include a $20.75 million lakefront mansion that he purchased during the pandemic in December 2020, reports the Palm Beach Daily News.
In recent years, Fandango had struggled after movie theater attendance was essentially non-existent during the pandemic.
The firm attempted to pivot to streaming but reported a loss in profits in 2023.
Cline was described as a 'serial entrepreneur' in a profile by Fordham University
Cline also sat on the board of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Cline is seen taking part in a discussion with business students at Fordham University
Cline jumped from the 20th floor of the hotel and landed in a courtyard area on the third floor
A body bag containing Cline is seen being wheeled out onto the sidewalk on Tuesday
The New York Medical Examiner was quickly on the scene on Tuesday morning
The luxury hotel is situated on East 50th Street near Lexington Avenue
Cline, who had been married to wife, Pamela, for almost 30 years graduated from Cornell University and obtained an MBA from Harvard University.
In a profile by Fordham University, he was described as a 'serial entrepreneur' and as someone who 'helped to who inspired students'.
Cline also sat as the executive chairman of Juxtapose - another firm which specializes in funding startups.
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