Trigger warning: This article contains mentions of death.
The details of Gene Hackman’s will have been revealed nearly two weeks after his and his wife Betsy Arakawa’s tragic passing. On Thursday, March 13, the Daily Mail reported that Hackman left behind a staggering $80 million fortune. In the documents, Arakawa was mentioned as his successor trustee.
The Superman actor, who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease, had not updated his will since June 2005. With Arakawa’s passing—who preceded his death by a week—the next in line with a right to his fortune would be his three children.
Hackman was survived by his kids—Christopher, 65, Leslie, 58, and Elizabeth, 62—whom he shared with his late ex-wife, Faye Maltese. Although it’s unclear whether any of the children are mentioned as beneficiaries, the fortune would pass to one or more of them.
Reportedly, a legal battle is on the horizon between Christopher, who has hired a high-powered attorney, and his sisters. Meanwhile, Arakawa didn’t designate any beneficiaries and instead allocated her assets to a trust.
Once her medical debts are cleared, the funds will be distributed to various charities. TMZ claimed that one clause in her will stated that her fortune would pass to her husband if Hackman had outlived her by more than 90 days.
Since he died within a week of her passing, the clause does not apply. Arakawa had no children of her own.
Last month, the actor and his pianist wife were found deceased in their New Jersey home.
Autopsy reports later revealed that the two-time Oscar-winning actor died of heart disease with complications from Alzheimer’s disease. According to his pacemaker, he passed away on February 18 at the age of 95, nearly a week before his body was discovered.
Arakawa, who was also his primary caregiver, reportedly died of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome at 65, a week before her husband’s passing on February 11. Her body was found on a bathroom floor in a state of mummification. One of the late couple’s dogs also died, while two others were found unharmed and alive.
