J. Michael Cline Suicide Note Revealed After Millionaire Jumps Off Hotel's 20th Floor To His Death
Multimillionaire J. Michael Cline left a suicide note before leaping to his death from the balcony of a luxury hotel in New York City.
Cline, the wealthy co-founder of movie ticketing app Fandango, plunged from the 20th floor of Manhattan's The Kimberly Hotel Tuesday morning, TMZ reported, citing law enforcement sources. He was 64.
The father of six reportedly landed in a courtyard on the third floor of the building on East 50th Street near Lexington Avenue.
A suicide note was reportedly found in his hotel room, and it said, "So sorry. I can't explain the pain of f*****g up this much. I love you all."
Fandango Founder J. Michael Cline Dead After Jumping From NYC Hotel | Click to read more 👇 https://t.co/kbM7rXzoek
— TMZ (@TMZ) July 17, 2024
Cline's death came just days after he underwent gallbladder surgery, unnamed sources told the New York Post.
Cline was estimated to be worth $80.3 million at the time of his death, according to Benzinga, which based its estimate on the value of his reported shares across multiple companies.
Dubbed a "serial entrepreneur," Cline started and co-founded several companies, including Fandango, business insurance company Insureon, tech firm R1 RCM, and education solutions business Everspring.
He was also the chairman and managing partner of the startup funding firms Juxtapose and Accretive, respectively.
While Cline no longer had ties with Fandango at the time of his passing, the Daily Mail reported that the firm struggled during the pandemic when movie theaters were forced to close due to COVID-19 restrictions.
The company has since tried to venture into streaming, acquiring streaming service Vudu in 2020. However, Fandango reported a loss in profits last year.
Cline had an impressive real estate portfolio, which included several multimillion-dollar homes in the Hamptons on New York's Long Island and Greenwich, Connecticut.
He and his wife of 29 years, Pamela, also bought a five-bedroom lakefront mansion in Palm Beach, Florida, for $20.75 million in December 2020.
In addition to his businesses, Cline was also passionate about animal conservation, serving as chairman of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
If you or someone you know is struggling or has had suicidal thoughts, confidential help is available for free at the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. The line is available 24 hours, every day.
