Gene Hackman Was Worth $80 Million When He Died. A Battle May Be Brewing Over His Estate

The death of Hollywood icon Gene Hackman and his wife is already a tragic enough story, with the actor believed to have survived for several days in his home after his wife had already passed away, but things may be about to get ugly again as there may be a battle looming over Gene Hackman’s fortune, estimated to be worth $80 million.

Because of what had previously been viewed as the suspicious death of Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa within days of each other, there are a lot of open questions regarding just who is set to inherit the estate of the two and at least one of Hackman’s children has reportedly hired a lawyer that specializes in estate law.

Hackman And His Wife Both Left Their Estates To Each Other

According to Daily Mail, Gene Hackman left his entire estate, valued at approximately $80 million to his wife Betsy, who was also the successor trustee. Meanwhile Arakawa’s will reportedly insists her estate should be placed in a charitable trust, but only “If my spouse does not survive me.”

New Mexico law apparently requires that a spouse survives for at least five days after the death of their partner to be considered surviving, otherwise, the deaths can be ruled “simultaneous.” According to current reports, Hackman is believed to have lived for seven days after his wife died of hantavirus, before passing of heart failure himself. As such, it would at least appear that Hackman would have inherited his wife’s estate, before dying himself.

Either way, Gene Hackman certainly had the larger estate, and with his wife having passed away before him, it becomes a significant question of who inherits his estate. Hackman had three children from a previous marriage, but it’s unknown if they are currently set to inherit anything.

Gene Hackman’s Children May End Up Battling Over The Estate

At this point, it’s unclear if Hackman's children, Christopher, Leslie Anne, and Elizabeth Gene, aged 65-58, are even mentioned in Hackman’s will. He had reportedly been estranged from them after divorcing his first wife but had reconciled to some degree later in their lives.

Things get more complicated as Christopher has reportedly hired an attorney who specializes in trust and estate law. It’s potentially telling that the lawyer is only representing Christopher’s interests, and not that of his two siblings. Lawyers speaking with Daily Mail suggest this could be an indication of a possible legal fight between the three.

Considering that there are still questions surrounding the deaths of Hackman and Arakawa, some of those details may need to be straightened out before things are even able to progress to the next stage. Of course, it’s also possible that Hackman’s children are set to inherit, in which case there may not be any fight at all.

Gene Hackman's status earned him special recognition at this year's Oscars, and numerous stars who knew him shared stories of the actor after he died. It seems the final word on Hackman's legacy, however, may come in court.