Steve Bing, an American producer, philanthropist and screenwriter, has reportedly died by suicide in Los Angeles.
According to TMZ, law enforcement agencies confirmed the 55-year-old movie mogul breathed his last after leaping off the 27th floor of a Century City apartment building on Monday. He was pronounced dead on the scene.
Sources connected to Bing told the news outlet that the movie producer had been depressed about lack of human contact during his quarantine; although it’s yet to be confirmed if that was responsible for the suicide.
Bing, became a top player in the US entertainment industry after inheriting $600 million from his grandfather; on his 18th birthday. He dropped out of Stanford University and used the money to found Shangri-La Entertainment, his own company.
He reportedly invested $80 million in The Polar Express, an animated Tom Hanks-voiced 2004 film directed by Robert Zemeckis that went on to gross nearly $300 million globally at the box office.
Among the works for which the deceased is also known is the action-comedy Kangaroo Jack. He co-wrote Kangaroo Jack in 2003 starring Anthony Anderson and Jerry O’Connell.
His credits as an executive producer include Get Carter (2000), Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World (2005); Youth in Revolt (2009) and Rock the Kasbah (2015).
Steve Bing was in a brief relationship with Hollywood actress Elizabeth Hurley and is the father of her son, Damian.
He is also father to Kira Bonder whom he shares with former pro tennis player Lisa Bonder.
