Gene Hackman leaves staggering fortune as contents of will unveiled amid family’s funeral chaos
Gene Hackman’s staggering £80 million fortune could trigger a family war following the shocking deaths of the Hollywood legend and his wife Betsy Arakawa last month.
The Oscar-winning actor and his spouse were found lifeless in separate rooms of their New Mexico home on February 26.
Details of their wills have now emerged, revealing potential complications that could lead to a bitter legal dispute among Hackman’s family members.
The 95-year-old Superman star had been suffering from Alzheimer’s disease prior to his death.
Hackman left his entire £80 million fortune to Arakawa, who was named the successor trustee to his trust.
It remains uncertain whether his three children—son Christopher Allen, 65, and daughters Leslie Anne, 58, and Elizabeth Jean, 62—were included in his will.
The children are from Hackman’s previous marriage to Faye Maltese.
Reports suggest Hackman was once estranged from his children, raising the possibility of a legal challenge over his fortune.
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A legal expert told the Daily Mail: “If he died first and she [Arakawa] had survived, it would’ve been World War III. His kids would’ve probably gone crazy.”
The investigation revealed that Arakawa, 65, died around February 11 from a rare virus transmitted by mice.
Hackman, seemingly unaware of his wife’s death due to his Alzheimer’s, succumbed to heart disease on February 18.
Arakawa was discovered on the bathroom floor near a space heater, surrounded by thyroid medication.
Hackman was found in a room near his kitchen after an apparent fall.
One of their dogs was also found dead, while two others were roaming their 12-acre property.
Hackman reportedly signed the most recent copy of his will on June 7, 2005, with no indication of when his Alzheimer’s diagnosis occurred.
Legal experts suggest the timing of the diagnosis could be significant for any potential challenges to the will.
John Budagher, from Budagher and Tann, noted that recent updates to a will might raise concerns given Hackman’s condition.
“If it’s more recent, that doesn’t mean it’s invalid,” he remarked. “It just means it’s riper for a potential challenge – especially if it’s doing something like leaving everything to a caretaker.”
In Arakawa’s will, she left her assets to a trust, with the money designated for charities and to pay medical debts.
Attorney Julia Peters has been named executor of both wills, though it remains unclear how the estates will be divided without a copy of the trust.
New Mexico inheritance laws add another layer of complexity to the situation.
Kevin Holmes from Holmes Law Firm explained: “In a lot of states, including New Mexico, there’s a kind of presumptive triggering deadline of five days before you’re considered having survived under the terms of most wills.”
Since the couple died nearly a week apart, this particular law likely won’t affect the original plans for Hackman’s estate.
However, the ongoing investigation into the couple’s deaths might create additional complications for any inheritance intended for Hackman’s children.
Without access to the complete trust documents, the final distribution of the £80 million fortune remains uncertain.
The unusual circumstances surrounding their deaths, combined with Hackman’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis, could provide grounds for his children to contest the will.
Legal proceedings may be imminent as the family grapples with these complex inheritance issues.