The public may never learn who inherits the late actor Gene Hackman's estimated US$80 million fortune, as his estate is structured through a private trust. The 95-year-old Oscar winner was found dead alongside his wife Betsy Arakawa at their New Mexico home on 26 February 2025. Arakawa had died a week earlier from a rare virus.
According to wills reviewed by a reputable source, both Hackman and Arakawa signed documents in 2005 that direct most of their assets into a trust. Hackman's will named Arakawa as trustee, but her sudden death left the trust without a designated manager. The court has since appointed a new trustee, but the order remains sealed, and the trust itself is not public.
Law professors specialising in trusts and estates note that the combination of a 'living trust' and a 'pour-over will' allows assets to be distributed privately, avoiding the probate process. This technique, also used by Michael Jackson, keeps the details of inheritances out of public court records.
Hackman, known for roles in The French Connection, Bonnie and Clyde and The Birdcage, had retired from acting after his final film in 2004 but continued writing and narrating documentaries. There is no question about his mental capacity when the wills were signed, despite his later dementia diagnosis.
