Renowned actor Gene Hackman’s will has been made public, revealing uncertainty surrounding his substantial $80 million fortune.
The two-time Academy Award winner designated his entire estate to his wife of three decades, Betsy Arakawa. However, Arakawa tragically passed away alongside her husband in their New Mexico residence last month, with authorities confirming she died seven days before Hackman.
Legal experts now suggest that due to this timeline, Hackman’s children from his previous marriage to Faye Maltese – Christopher, Elizabeth, and Leslie – may potentially inherit his wealth, despite not being explicitly mentioned in the will. According to California attorney Tre Lovell, the estate could default to the children under succession laws if there is no other named beneficiary.
Hackman’s will, last updated in 2005, named Arakawa as the sole recipient. Still, if the will is deemed invalid because of Arakawa’s earlier passing, his children could legally inherit the fortune. The couple was discovered deceased in their Santa Fe home by neighborhood security, prompting initial suspicion that was later ruled out by authorities.
Arakawa’s will, on the other hand, specified that if she and Hackman passed away within 90 days of each other, her assets would be directed to a trust and eventually donated to charity. Despite Hackman’s success in the entertainment industry, he candidly addressed the challenges his children faced growing up with a famous father.
