Details about Gene Hackman's will have surfaced, but questions remain about the fate of his fortune.
According to the Daily Mail, Hackman left his estimated $80 million estate to his wife, Betsy Arakawa. However, since Arakawa passed away just one week before him, it is uncertain who will ultimately inherit the wealth. The report did not clarify if Hackman had named alternative beneficiaries in his will.
The same report indicated that Hackman's will had not been updated since June 2005. Due to Arakawa's passing, speculation has arisen that his three children—Christopher, 65, Elizabeth, 62, and Leslie, 58—could inherit his assets. The Daily Mail also noted that Christopher has retained an estate attorney, suggesting legal steps are being taken regarding the inheritance.
On February 27, Us Weekly confirmed that Hackman, 95, and Arakawa, 64, were found deceased at their residence in Santa Fe. After nearly a week of uncertainty, New Mexico's chief medical examiner, Dr. Heather Jarrell, disclosed their causes of death.
"The cause of death for Mrs. Hackman is hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. The cause of death is natural," Dr. Jarrell stated, estimating she passed on February 11. Authorities believe Hackman died on February 18 from hypertensive atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with Alzheimer's disease contributing.
Hackman's estate has since moved to prevent certain sensitive materials related to their deaths from being made public. A legal document filed on March 11 states, "A preliminary injunction is necessary to protect the estates of Mr. Hackman and Ms. Arakawa-Hackman's right to privacy."
Amanda Lavin, legal director of the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, voiced concerns about restricting access to these records. "I do think it does infringe on transparency if the court were to prohibit release of all the investigation records, including the autopsies," she told the Associated Press. "The whole idea of those records being available is to ensure accountability in the way those investigations are done."
Originally published on Enstarz
