Battle brewing over Gene Hackman’s $126m fortune after his death

The will of the Oscar-winning actor, who died seven days after his pianist wife Betsy Arakawa passed away inside their plush $3.8 million (A$6 million) home in Santa Fe, has now been revealed.

He reportedly left his multimillion-dollar fortune to his wife – the successor trustee to his trust, reports The Sun.

However, it is unclear if the Hollywood star left anything for his kids Christopher, Elizabeth and Leslie.

Meanwhile, Arakawa’s will states that all her wealth shall be passed to her “personal representative as trustee” for charity purposes.

The document states: “If my spouse does not survive me, I give the residue of my estate to my personal representative, as trustee, to hold and administer in a charitable trust to achieve purposes beneficial to the community, consistent with the charitable preferences and interests expressed or indicated by my spouse and me during our lifetimes.”

It is also unclear how the couple’s sprawling home in Santa Fe and other assets would be divided.

But it could cause a rift between the children, legal experts have warned.

Gene’s eldest child Chris even hired Andrew M. Katzenstein, a prominent California trust and estate lawyer.

MORE: Fortune left behind by Gene Hackman revealed

A legal expert told Daily Mail: “By hiring Katzenstein, it shows that he [Chris] is definitely trying to protect his interests.

“The fact that Chris got a high-powered lawyer indicates to me something is going on.

“I don’t know why the girls [daughters] are not represented. That tells me that there must be some trouble brewing.”

While a hardworking Gene climbed the ladder of success in the Hollywood industry, cracks soon emerged in the relationship with his children.

Gene and Faye Maltese’s first child, Christopher Allen Hackman, was born in 1960.

He was followed by sister Elizabeth Jean two years later, and baby Leslie Anne arrived in 1966.

The trappings of their new showbiz life had other consequences for the children.

Gene’s hectic schedule meant he was “gone too long” and his relationship with Faye, his children’s mother, came under strain.

He once described his fame as “hanging over their heads”, as Christopher, Elizabeth and Leslie attempted to go about daily life.

Gene and Faye divorced in 1986.

He even admitted that his relationship with his eldest child, son Christopher, suffered to the point where they “lost touch”.

The actor also told GQ in 2011: “I lost touch with my son in terms of advice early on.

“Maybe it had to do with being gone so much, doing location films when he was at an age where he needed support and guidance.

“It was very tough for me to be gone for three months and then come home and start bossing him around.”

Gene married his second wife, pianist Betsy Arakawa in 1991.

The couple set up home together and it was later reported that her presence helped to mend his relationship with his children.

Mystery continues to surround the deaths of Gene and his wife as investigators confirm they are looking into “loopholes”.

Officials revealed the causes of death of the 95-year-old actor and 65-year-old Betsy Arakawa last week, but Sheriff Adan Mendoza says there are still questions to be answered before closing the case.

Arakawa died of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, which is caused by contact with rodents like rats and mice, New Mexico’s chief medical examiner Dr. Heather Jarrell said.

She died before Hackman – perhaps on February 11 – leaving the two-time Oscar-winner alone at the house.

Hackman – suffering from the debilitating effects of Alzheimer’s – is believed to have died seven days later on February 18.

He tragically lived alongside his wife’s body, likely not knowing she was dead.

While many questions have now been answered, Sheriff Mendoza said in a press conference that cops are still looking into the case.

“We consider this an open investigation until we close the loopholes of the cell phones, until we finish out the necropsy results of the canine and the other loose ends that we need to tie up,” he said.

Arakawa’s decomposed body was found in the bathroom of their four-bedroom house, surrounded by scattered pills from an open prescription bottle on the counter.

The couple’s dog, Zinna, was also found dead in a crate in the bathroom near Arakawa’s body. Zinna’s cause of death was still pending necropsy results, but officials said on Friday that hantavirus is not a possible reason.

Two other dogs were found distressed but alive at the home.

Meanwhile, Hackman was found collapsed in the home’s mudroom with his sunglasses and a cane nearby.

A search warrant revealed that cops noted the legendary actor looked like he fell to the ground suddenly.

This article originally appeared in The Sun and was reproduced with permission.

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Originally published as Battle brewing over Gene Hackman’s $126m fortune after his death