James Michael Cline
James Michael Cline (1960–2024) was an American financier and the founder of Fandango.[1][2]
Early life and education
[edit]Cline was born in 1960.[3] His mother, Rose Marie Cline, retired as a division administrator at the Lamont Doherty Geological Observatory of Columbia University in New York.[3] His father, James G. Cline, was a managing partner at Dames & Moore.[3]
Cline earned his undergraduate degree from Cornell University and an MBA from Harvard University.[3]
Career
[edit]Cline began his entrepreneurial career in the early 1980s by importing hand warmers from Japan.[4] His private-equity firm, Accretive, which invested in Fandango, was also involved in a controversy during the 2000s.[4] The controversy arose after the firm created a debt-collection business while also holding a stake in the National Arbitration Forum, a major consumer-debt-arbitration body.[4][5]
At the time of his death, Cline was the executive chairman of Juxtapose, which supported the launch of tech businesses in sectors including health care and property management.[4] He owned properties in affluent areas such as Palm Beach, Florida; Greenwich, Connecticut; and the Hamptons.[4] Cline also served as chairman of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, focusing on the preservation of big cats, including jaguars.[4][6]
Cline, days after gallbladder surgery, left a suicide note before jumping from the 20th floor, landing in a third-story courtyard of the Kimberly Hotel in Manhattan.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ Kornelis, Chris (2024-08-23). "J. Michael Cline, Fandango Co-Founder Who Changed the Moviegoing Experience, Dies at 64". Wall Street Journal.
- ^ Saperstein, Pat (July 18, 2024). "Fandango Founder J. Michael Cline Dies After Falling From New York Hotel". Variety.
- ^ a b c d "WEDDINGS;Pamela S. Berman, J. Michael Cline". The New York Times. 1995-11-12.
- ^ a b c d e f Correal, Annie (2024-07-18). "Founder of Fandango Dies After Plunge From Manhattan Hotel". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2024-07-18.
- ^ Mollenkamp, Carrick; Searcey, Dionne; Koppel, Nathan (2009-10-15). "Turmoil in Arbitration Empire Upends Credit-Card Disputes". Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 2015-05-30.
- ^ West, Melanie Grayce (2011-06-26). "Documenting Wild Cats". Wall Street Journal.
- ^ "Fandango co-founder J. Michael Cline dead of apparent suicide in New York City". UPI - UPI.com. Retrieved 25 October 2024.