The co-founder of the movie ticket company Fandango left a deeply emotional suicide note in which he admitted he “can’t explain the pain” before jumping to his death from a high-end hotel in Midtown Manhattan, according to law enforcement sources on Thursday.
J. Michael Cline, a 64-year-old “serial entrepreneur” and father of six from Greenwich, Connecticut, leaped from the 20th floor of The Kimberly Hotel and landed in a third-floor courtyard on Tuesday morning, according to law enforcement sources. He was also a philanthropist known for supporting tiger conservation efforts, according to sources and law enforcement officials on Wednesday. An investigation into Cline’s death has been launched, police sources said.
Heart-Wrenching Final Letter
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“So sorry. I can’t explain the pain of f— up this much. I love you all,” Cline wrote in the letter, with some apparent missing words, the sources confirmed.
His suicide shocked and devastated those who knew him, which came just days after he had gallbladder surgery, according to sources.
Cline owned several multi-million-dollar properties in Greenwich, Connecticut, and Palm Beach, Florida, including a lakefront mansion he purchased with his wife, Pamela, for $20.75 million in December 2020, as reported by the Palm Beach Daily News.
In recent years, Fandango struggled as movie theater attendance was virtually nonexistent during the pandemic.
The company tried to shift its focus to streaming but reported a loss in profits in 2023.
Cline graduated from Cornell University and earned an MBA from Harvard University. A recent article from Fordham University described him as a “serial entrepreneur” who inspired students to dream big and “work with people you trust.”
A Leader Is Gone
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Cline served as chairman of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, where he supported conservation efforts for animals worldwide, sources say.
He was also the executive chairman of Juxtapose, a company that specializes in funding start-ups that create consumer-focused businesses, according to his online resume.
According to Harvard’s alumni website, Cline founded the tech solutions company R1 RCM, the small business insurance firm Insureon, and the education solutions company Everspring.
He married his wife, Pamela, in 1995, as reported in a New York Times wedding announcement.
Police have launched and investigation into Cline’s death and the contents of the suicide note are yet to be revealed.
