Fandango Founder J. Michael Cline Dies at 64 After Falling From New York Hotel

A midtown view from the American Copper Building is seen at 626 First Avenue in New York on March 17, 2017.

J. Michael Cline, the founder and former chairman of Fandango, a leading movie ticket website, has died at the age of 64 from injuries he sustained after falling from a high-rise hotel in Midtown Manhattan on Tuesday morning, the New York Police Department (NYPD) has confirmed.

After receiving multiple 911 calls, law enforcement personnel were dispatched to The Kimberly Hotel, located on New York City’s East 50th Street, at approximately 10:19 a.m., a spokesperson for the NYPD’s Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Public Information told The Epoch Times via email.

“Upon arrival, officers found an unconscious and unresponsive male with injuries indicative of a fall from an elevated position,” the spokesperson said. “EMS responded and pronounced the male deceased at 1030 hours.”

Police later identified the man as Mr. Cline, a resident of Palm Beach, Florida. A cause of death was not immediately disclosed, and the investigation remains ongoing.

The Epoch Times has reached out to The Kimberly Hotel for comment, but a response was not received by publication time.

Mr. Cline graduated valedictorian from Cornell University in 1981, garnering a bachelor’s degree in hotel administration and entrepreneurism, per his LinkedIn account. He went on to attend Harvard Business School, where he was a Baker Scholar, earning a master’s degree in business administration in 1985.

After founding a string of startups, including Penguin Warmups, Xchanging, and Exult, the finance executive launched the online movie ticketing service in April 2000. Comcast acquired Fandango in 2007 for an undisclosed amount, and Mr. Cline continued to serve as the company’s chairman until 2011.

The businessman later founded Accument Inc., which provides technology-driven consulting services for hospitals and labs, Everspring Inc., an online education services company, and the online marketplace Insureon, among many others.

At the time of his death, Mr. Cline was a managing partner for Accretive, an investment firm he founded in 1999, and an executive chairman for the venture fund Juxtapose. He also served as chairman of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s board of directors.

Tributes Pour In

On Tuesday, Jennifer Mull Neuhaus, the chair of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, released a statement. In it, she called Mr. Cline a “true champion for conservation and for wildlife.”

“Michael was an exceptional leader as our Chairman over the past three years, and his passing leaves us all deeply saddened,” she wrote.

Ms. Neuhaus said Mr. Cline’s passion for conservation, coupled with his affinity for the great outdoors, made him “the perfect fit” for the organization. “Michael was instrumental in shaping NFWF’s vision and guiding the Foundation’s efforts to conserve our natural wonders for generations to come,” she wrote.

“On behalf of the Foundaton [sic] and its Board of Directors, I extend my heartfelt sympathies to Michael’s family, friends and colleagues during this difficult time,” she continued. “He will truly be missed by all who knew and worked with him, but his legacy in conservation will benefit us all far into the future.”

Political activist Jane Adams took to X to pay tribute to the late Fandango founder. “Another tragic loss of a brilliant mind. J. Michael Cline’s death underscores the unseen struggles of success in our pressure-cooker society,” she penned. “May he find peace.”

“Sad news about J. Michael Cline’s passing,” businessman Benjamin Lockheart wrote online. “My condolences go out to his family and friends.”

Mr. Cline is survived by his wife, Pamela, whom he married in 1995, and their six children.