J. Michael Klein, the co-founder of Fandango and the visionary entrepreneur who revolutionized how people buy movie tickets, has died at age 64 after falling from the 20th floor of a luxury hotel. According to TMZ, a suicide note has been found.
of The New York Times Reports J. Michael Klein, a prominent figure in the technology and entertainment industry, died in Manhattan last week. The New York City Police Department confirmed that Klein fell from the 20th floor of the Kimberly Hotel on Tuesday. The incident was reported via a 911 call, and officers found Klein “unconscious and unresponsive with injuries consistent with a fall from a height.” TMZ Reports A suicide note was found.
Klein’s career is marked by big milestones, including co-founding Fandango in 2000. The online ticketing company, known for its orange “F” that resembles a ticket stub, transformed the way Americans went to the movies. Klein, who stayed at the company until 2011, saw an opportunity and wanted to capitalize on it. As Klein explained, the company’s name is an acronym of Fandango. varietywas chosen because “Fandango is fast and fun,” reflecting the service’s goal of making movie-watching “easier and more fun than ever.”
Fandango’s successful business model involved handling ticket sales for major cinema chains, making money from commissions on online ticket sales and advertising on the platform. The company was so influential that it was later acquired by Comcast, and is now owned by NBCUniversal and Warner Bros.
Fandango co-founder and former chief operating officer and president Art Levitt remembered Klein as “intelligent, creative and conscientious” who persevered through difficult times. Levitt also noted Klein’s sense of adventure, which he said likely contributed to his success in identifying and pursuing market opportunities.
In addition to Fandango, Mr. Klein had a career spanning various ventures in technology and finance, ran a venture capital firm and worked in private equity through his company, Accretive. At the time of his death, Mr. Klein was Chairman of the Board of Directors of Juxtapoz, a company that launched numerous technology companies in a variety of sectors, including healthcare, wellness and property management.
Born in New York to Rose Marie and James G. Klein, J. Michael Klein earned a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and an MBA from Harvard University. His entrepreneurial journey began in the early 1980s with a failed business importing hand warmers from Japan, a failure he humorously explains on his LinkedIn profile: “I had no idea what I was doing. Seriously.”
Despite this early setback, Klein enjoyed considerable business success, acquiring millions of dollars’ worth of real estate in affluent areas such as Palm Beach, Florida, Greenwich, Connecticut, and the Hamptons. His success didn’t end with personal wealth; he was also known for his philanthropic efforts. Klein served as chairman of the board of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and was particularly interested in the conservation of big cats and jaguars.
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Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering free speech and online censorship.
