(NewsNation) — Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa were found dead at their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, at the end of February. Now, questions are rising about who will inherit Hackman’s $80 million will.
How did Gene Hackman, Betsy Arakawa die?
Hackman, 95, and Arakawa, 65, were found by maintenance workers who saw them through a window and called the police. One of the dogs they owned was also found dead inside a crate, while the other two dogs were found alive.
Arakawa’s last activity was on Feb. 11, when she checked and sent emails and visited a farmer’s market and a pet store. Hackman’s pacemaker showed that its last activity was on Feb. 18.
Hackman died from heart disease, with Alzheimer’s playing a part, according to officials. Arakawa died from Hantavirus, which is often contracted by coming into contact with mouse droppings.
Gene Hackman, Betsy Arakawa signed wills in 2005
Hackman and Arakawa both signed their wills in June 2005, assigning each other as the personal representatives of the Gene Hackman Living Trust, which is now worth $80 million.
“It’s very common that (Betsy’s) pour-over will leave everything to a trust. And, in fact, her pour-over will leave everything to the Gene Hackman (Living Trust), and his pour-over will leave everything to her as a trustee,” David A. Esquibias, a trust and family law attorney, told PEOPLE.
FILE – Actor Gene Hackman with wife Betsy Arakawa in June 1993. (AP Photo, File) 
Actor Gene Hackman waves as he starts out for a practice run in his Toyota Celica on Feb. 5, 1983, at the Daytona International Speedway in preparation for the Daytona 24 Hour Endurac Race. The race marked the start of Hackman’s career as a professional driver. (AP Photo/Bob Self, File) 
Actors (L-R) Raquel Welch, Gene Hackman and Cloris Leachman (holding her Best Supporting Actress Oscar) at the 44th Academy Awards in Hollywood, CA, April 17th 1972. (Photo by Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) 
Law enforcement officials talk outside the home of actor Gene Hackman on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025 in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Hackman, his wife Betsy Arakawa and their dog were found dead in the home a day earlier. (AP Photo/Roberto Rosales)
Entertainment Weekly reported that Hackman’s three adult children — Christopher, 65, Elizabeth, 62 and Leslie, 58 — have not been named as beneficiaries to Hackman’s estate in his $80 million will.
Tre Lovell, an attorney from California, told the BBC that Hackman’s estate could still go to his children if there were no other beneficiaries named. Court filings did show that Hackman’s children were named as his heirs. Since Arakawa died, the children could attempt to claim Hackman’s estate as his only living heirs.
“The estate will actually be probated in accordance with intestate succession laws and the children would be lawfully next in line to inherit,” Lovell told the BBC.
Lovell also noted that it would need to be proved that the will is invalid since Arakawa died first.
Who could inherit Gene Hackman’s $80M estate?
Hackman had named his former attorney, Michael G. Sutin, as the successor in the event that his wife died, according to Entertainment Weekly. However, Sutin died in 2019, so his representation was passed to Julia L. Peters, chief counsel at Avalon Trust Co.
According to PEOPLE, Arakawa’s estate will go to Peters. She will follow Arakawa’s wishes in her will to hold it 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 lives.”
PEOPLE also reported that Arakawa’s will stated that she might have a list that is separate from her will that indicates who her personal property should go to.