Laila Kirkpatrick, Staff Writer
The actor Gene Hackman’s will was released and there is much uncertainty surrounding his $80 million fortune. The two-time Academy Award winner left his estate to his wife of 30 years, Betsy Arakawa, however, she was found dead next to him in their home in New Mexico last month. Legal experts have now said that authorities say that because Arakawa died seven days before her husband Hackman’s children could potentially inherit his fortune even though none of them were named in the will.
Hackman’s three children, Faye Maltese – Christopher, 65, Elizabeth, 62, and Leslie, 58 – have not commented publicly on the matter. However, California attorney Tre Lovell stated that the estate could default to them under succession laws as long as there is no other beneficiary named. He said, “The estate will be probated by intestate succession laws and the children would be lawfully next in line to inherit.” Authorities say that Arakawa passed away on February 11th after contracting a rare virus just days before Hackman died of national causes. Arakawa’s own will leave her assets to Hackman but stipulated that if the two died within 90 years of each other her estate would go into a trust and later would be donated to charity after covering medical expenses.
