Gene Hackman reportedly leaves kids out of his will: What happens to his $80 million estate? | Hollywood News

Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were found dead on February 26, 2025. While the investigation into their deaths is still ongoing, reports claim that Hackman’s will has already been unearthed. According to TMZ, the Hollywood star left every single penny of his fortune to his beloved wife, whom he married back in 1991. But here’s where things get complicated. TMZ obtained documents showing that Hackman had made Betsy his sole beneficiary as far back as 1995. Now, with both of them gone, and with the timing of their deaths so close together, what happens to Gene Hackman’s $80 million fortune?
Hackman left nothing to his three children
The two-time Academy Award winner reportedly left nothing to his three children: son Chropher, and daughters Leslie and Elizabeth. According to the documents, Betsy also had her own will. She had left most of her assets to Gene but added a condition: if they both died within 90 days of each other, it would be considered a “simultaneous death.” In that case, her will stated that her entire estate would go to charity.
Also read: Gene Hackman’s dog Zinna’s likely cause of death revealed: ‘Partial mummification’
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The couple lived in New Mexico, which follows community property laws, and the fact that they had no prenuptial agreement makes things even messier. This could mean Betsy’s estate holds solid value, and because of her will’s clause, her share may ultimately go to charity. As for Gene’s estate, even though he didn’t name his children in his will, they would likely inherit his share of the fortune as his direct living heirs.
What caused their deaths?
While details are still emerging, authorities earlier revealed that Betsy died from a rare hantavirus pulmonary disease on February 11. Gene reportedly passed away just days later, on February 18, from heart disease. Authorities in their initial report said that Gene, who was battling advanced-stage Alzheimer’s, might not have been fully aware of his wife’s condition at the time. The couple also owned three dogs. Sadly, one of them, an Australian Kelpie, was found locked inside a crate and reportedly died from starvation and dehydration. The other two dogs survived and are currently in the care of animal welfare authorities.