J. Michael Cline, popularly known as the founder of Fandango, passed away at the age of 64. He was a successful entrepreneur whose death shocked the whole world. In July 2024, he died by jumping out from The Kimberly Hotel in Manhattan. This shocking suicide news brought lots of curiosity among the people and the business community.
Many want to know the reason behind his extreme action and the real cause of his death. However, J Michael Cline’s net worth was almost 80 million Dollars at the time of his death. This huge worth shows that Michael was likely not in any financial trouble.
J. Michael Cline was a well-known businessman, best remembered as the founder of Fandango, a famous American company that sells movie tickets. However, it was not the only business J Michael Cline invested in, as well as various other businesses, such as Accolade, Accretive, and Xchanging. He has also been known for serving as chairman of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
Surely, after knowing this, you’re interested in learning more about his life. If yes, Keep reading! In this article, we’ll explore J. Michael Cline’s net worth, career, personal life, and cause of death. So, let’s dive in.
Something About J Michael Cline’s Death
J. Michael Cline tragically passed away at the age of 64 on July 16, 2024, in an incident at The Kimberly Hotel located in Manhattan. He died after falling from the 20th floor of the hotel, and initial reports suggest suicide as the cause. Even The New York Police Department has found some evidence pointing toward suicide at the location. However, the investigation is still ongoing, and no further official statements have been released by the authorities.
J Michael Cline’s Cause of Death
The exact cause of J. Michael Cline’s death is still under investigation by the New York Police Department. However, several reports show that it was the proper suicide. The police are still investigating the case and found some suspected evidence they are working on.
Cline tragically fell from the 20th floor of The Kimberly Hotel on July 16, 2024. The police received a call about the incident at 10:19 a.m. on Tuesday. Upon the arrival of the police, the police department found J Michael Cline unconscious and unresponsive. At the time, he had several injuries he got from a fall. However, it was a suicidal case, and no one was criminally suspected.
Moreover, according to details, J Michael Cline left a final message for his loved ones, saying, “I’m sorry, it’s unbearable. I can’t explain the pain. I love you all.” These were the last words that he spoke before leaving the world. Cline’s death, at age 64, was a profound loss to the business world. As the founder of Fandango, his entrepreneurial legacy will be remembered for years.
J Michael Cline Net Worth
J. Michael Cline had a long and successful career in business. He was involved in 12 different companies and worked on the boards of directors of different organizations. However, he didn’t disclose any of his earnings publicly. Yet we have discovered that his estimated net worth at the time of his death was almost $80 million. This included around $21 million in real estate holdings, while the rest of his wealth was tied to his other ventures and investments.
J Michael Cline Real Estate Investments
Throughout his career, J Michael Cline accumulated notable wealth. So, if we say Cline was a very wealthy man and a well-known person in the business industry, it wouldn’t be wrong. His financial success allowed him to invest in luxury properties in prime locations like Greenwich, Palm Beach, and the Hamptons.
In 2022, it was reported that the value of these real estate properties he and his wife owned in Florida was approximately $20.75 million. Additionally, before his passing, Cline purchased a vacation home in Palm Beach, valued at $9.22 million.
The Early Life of J Michael Cline
J Michael Cline was born in New York City on November 13, 1959. His parents were James G. Cline and his mother’s name was Rose Marie Cline. His father was a popular personality. He was a managing partner at Dames and Moore, an environmental engineering company. On the other hand, J Michael Cline Rose’s mother was a unit administrator. She worked at Lamont Doherty Geological Observatory, located at the University of Columbia. Apart from this, Michael Cline didn’t share any of the details about his early life.
J Michael Cline Education
J Michael Cline completed high school at a public school. Later, he moved to Cornell University, there he earned a bachelor’s degree in entrepreneurship in 1981. He furthered his education by enrolling at Harvard Business School in 1985, where he pursued a Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA). This degree helped Cline a lot in his future success, especially in becoming one of the best businessmen.
J Michael Cline’s Wife
J. Michael Cline was married to Pamela B. Cline in 1995 during an intimate family wedding. They shared nearly three decades of a happy marriage before his passing. Before their marriage, Cline’s wife, Pamela worked as a sales executive for Air France, which was based in New York. Throughout J. Michael Cline’s career, she was a supportive partner. The couple had six children together, although Cline kept details about their family private.
J Michael Cline Early Career
In 1982, J. Michael Cline founded his first startup, Penguin Warm-Ups, based in New York, where he served as CEO for several years. While managing the startup, he also worked as an associate at McKinsey & Company from 1981 to 1983. Despite his efforts, he later realized that the business had failed and acknowledged his inexperience at the time.
Later, after McKinsey, J Michael Cline worked as a summer associate with Goldman Sachs. He also worked as a vice president of marketing at General Atlantic, an American management company. After exploring and working with different companies. In 1998, he finally got another opportunity to start his next startup, XChanging.
J Michael Cline, the Founder of Fandango
J. Michael Cline founded Fandango Media LLC in 2000. This company became well-known for selling movie tickets through its mobile app and website. Fandango even expanded into streaming services and video content, including ownership of Rotten Tomatoes. This business venture was the most successful of Cline’s career.
Fandango was sold to Comcast in 2007, and Cline left the company in 2011. Despite selling the company, he retained a stake in the business until his passing. In 2012, J Michael Cline announced a partnership with Yahoo Movies. This partnership was great and gained a lot of popularity worldwide.
J Michael Cline Investments in Other Businesses
After the success of Fandango, Michael Cline expanded his business ventures by founding 12 additional companies, which made a huge contribution to the business industry and gave him considerable wealth. These investments helped him become a notable figure in the business industry. Beyond his businesses, Cline also held important roles as chairman and member of various boards, including conservation organizations. His leadership and investments continued to shape his career and impact multiple industries.
Popular J Michael Cline businesses
Many businesses were founded by J Michael Clinethese, including the startup XChanging, which was founded in 1998 to 2023. Several different companies he founded are listed below:
- Exuit
- Fandango
- Accumen Inc
- Dresr
- Accolade
- Xchanging
- Everspring
- Insureon
- R1 RCM
- Accretive
- etc
Final Thoughts
Overall, we have discussed the founder of Fandango, J Michael Cline. After examining all the aspects, we can conclude that Michael was a great personality, and his tragic death was a loss to the whole community.
(FAQs)
What does Fandango mean?
According to J Michael Cline, Fandango was the fast and fun name he selected. He found this name a perfect match for their services. Cline feels that the Fandango name makes it easier for buyers to purchase movie tickets and gives off enjoyable vibes.
What is the age of J Michael Cline?
J Michael Clineage was 64 years old at the time of his death.
What was J Michael Cline’s most successful business?
Fandango was the most successful business J Michael Clinehe ever ran.
