Steve Bing, a producer, philanthropist and screenwriter, has died by suicide in Los Angeles. He was 55.
Police and the coroner’s office said a man fitting his age jumped from a Century City apartment building on Monday. Sources told TMZ he had been suffering from depression.
Bing, who inherited a fortune of some $600 million from his grandfather, L.A. real estate developer Leo S. Bing, also contributed millions of dollars to Democratic political causes.
In 2003, he co-wrote the action comedy “Kangaroo Jack,” and he also contributed to “Missing in Action” and wrote an episode of “Married With Children.”
Bing invested some $80 million in “The Polar Express,” the Tom Hanks-voiced 2004 film directed by Robert Zemeckis. He had executive producer credits on a number of films and music documentaries, including Rolling Stones documentary “Shine a Light,” directed by Martin Scorsese, “CSNY/Deja Vu,” “Rock the Kasbah,” “Get Carter,” “Rules Don’t Apply,” “Girl Walks Into a Bar” and a Jerry Lee Lewis documentary that is in the works.
His political contributions, in addition to the Democratic Party, have included Al Gore, Gavin Newsom, Hilary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi and Dianne Feinstein.
He is survived by two children — a son with Elizabeth Hurley and a daughter with Kira Bonder.
