Gene Hackman Left $80 Million Fortune To Wife Betsy Arakawa, Who Died 7 Days Before Him – Fate Of Estate In Limbo

The wills of Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, have been revealed following their deaths, but Hackman’s does not offer much clarity about the future of his estate. Hackman and Arakawa were found dead in their home in New Mexico, having died one week apart.

>READ MORE: GENE HACKMAN LIKELY DEAD FOR 9 DAYS BEFORE BODY’S DISCOVERY

Hackman died last month at the age of 95 as a result of heart disease with connections to Alzheimer’s. His body was found on February 27, and his estimated date of death is Feb. 18. Arakawa died of hantavirus pulmonary system – a rare illness similar to the flu which attacks the lungs – on Feb. 11 at the age of 65. Due to his Alzheimer’s, Hackman lived in the house with Arakawa’s dead body for a week without noticing before his own death.

On Thursday, Hackman left Arakawa his (estimated) $80 million fortune. In the event of Arakawa’s death, Hackman had appointed the attorney Michael G. Sutin as his successor for the personal representative of the estate. However, Sutin died in 2019. Hackman appointed attorney Julia Peters as his second successor for personal representation. It has not been revealed at this time if any of Hackman’s three children – Christopher, 65, Leslie, 58, and Elizabeth, 62 – were mentioned in the will.

>LISTEN: 911 CALLER REPORTS GENE HACKMAN & WIFE’S DEATH

Hackman shares his children with his ex-wife Faye Maltese. Without directions for an equal division of assets between the three siblings, it has been reported that Christopher has hired a high-powered attorney and plans to battle his sisters for their father’s fortune.

Arakawa’s assets were assigned a trust set to pay for her medical debts, with what’s leftover being donated to a variety of different charities. Assuming Hackman was dead at Arakawa’s time of death, Arakawa directed the remainder of her estate to go to her personal representative to hold in a charitable trust to “achieve purposes beneficial to the community, consistent with the charitable preferences and interests expressed or indicated by my spouse and me during our lifetimes.” 

Arakawa and Hackman were married for 34 years.

Hackman’s career as an actor spanned six decades and earned him two Academy Awards, two BAFTAs, three Golden Globes and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

Arakawa was a classical pianist and businesswoman.