Beloved actor Gene Hackman’s will has been revealed, and his kids could end up inheriting his share, even though they weren’t mentioned in the document, TMZ reported.
According to People, Hackman signed his will in 2005 and left his entire estate to his wife Betsy Arakawa. However, Arakawa perished before her much older husband, dying, according to the New Mexico medical examiner, of hantavirus syndrome, which is picked up from mouse droppings. That complicates matters and could result in his share of the state going to his kids, TMZ reported.
Hackman was worth an estimated $80 million when he died, CinemaBlend reported.
A Lawyer Who Was Supposed to Oversee the Will if Arakawa Died Has Also Passed Away, Reports Say
GettyGene Hackman arrives at the 60th Annual Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles, CA on January 19, 2003. He is with his wife.
According to People, Hackman had named another attorney as his personal representative in the event that Arakawa died before him; however, that lawyer also has died. However, Hackman had named a second representative, and that person is Julia L. Peters, who is affiliated with a Santa Fe, New Mexico, investment firm, People reported.
Peters filed court documents naming Hackman’s three kids as his heirs to the remainder of a trust, People reported, but most of the fortune was left to Arakawa.
Hackman died about a week after his wife of hypertension and cardiac issues with Alzheimer’s Disease as a contributing factor, the medical examiner said in a news conference.
Gene Hackman’s Will Is Complicated by Betsy Arakawa Dying Before Him, Reports Say
GettyCity of Santa Fe Fire Department Chief Brian Moya speaks during a press conference at the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office to provide an update on the investigation into the deaths of actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa on February 28, 2025, in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
However, according to an expert interviewed by People, the situation is very complicated especially as Arakawa’s will specified that the fortune would go to charitable interests.
“When you have a married couple, the issue is who dies first, and in this case, Betsy died first, so she left everything to the Gene Hackman trust. He outlives her. So he theoretically inherits from Betsy into his trust, and then when he dies, his trust goes to whoever his trust beneficiaries are,” Legal expert David Esquibias told People. “In this case, we don’t see who the beneficiaries are of the Gene Hackman trust because the Gene Hackman trust hasn’t been either publicly released or it’s not part of the probate proceeding. Typically though, the probate proceeding, at least in California, the trust is usually included.”
However, according to TMZ, Arakawa’s will did specify that if they died within 90 days of each other, her fortune would go to charity.
TMZ reported that it’s likely that Arakawa’s share of the state will go to charity but that Hackman’s share would likely go to his kids because they are his “most direct living heirs.” According to TMZ, Hackman’s son Christopher has hired a lawyer. TMZ reported that this indicates Christopher might seek a portion of the fortune.
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