EXCLUSIVE Gene Hackman's $80M estate is hit with a '6-figure credit card debt'... five months after his death

Daily Mail​

11-07-2025

Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, reportedly racked up a massive debt before he died at the age of 95 in New Mexico in February.
The Superman star - who is estimated to be worth about $80M - had almost $100K on his credit card, UsWeekly reported on Friday.
According to court documents obtained by the site, the actor's estate was served with a claim by Citibank over money owed on a Mastercard. The bank demanded $98,345, according to paperwork filed July 1.
It has also been claimed that Arakawa owes $4,329 on an account with Bank of America.
The reported total for the claims comes to $102,675.
Hackman had plenty of assets with his most notable being his sprawling New Mexico property that is worth between $3.8 million and $4 million.
In March DailyMail.com has learned that the sprawling Southwestern-style four bed room ranch sitting on a picturesque hill could fetch as much as $5 million when it finally goes on sale.
'The home is big, stylish and has great bones so there will be interest,' said an agent at Coldwell Banker. 'Even though two people passed away in the house, there will still be plenty of offers.'
The agent added that anytime there is a celebrity linked to a property, it drives up the price, as is whether the home is bought in spring or summer summer.
The home is also desired as it's within a gated community despite being on six acres of land, and offers generous views of the Rocky Mountains and is close to nature.
Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead inside the home on Old Sunset Trail, Hyde Park, in February 2025. '
She believed Arakawa died on February 11 with Hackman passing on February 18.
Extraordinary footage released by the Santa Fe County Sheriff on Tuesday shows a heartbroken German shepherd watching over the couple's bodies as deputies walked inside.
The house, which was extensively remodeled in 1990, was cluttered with clothing, boxes, diapers and even dog cages when the couple died.
It was also infested with rats.
Their Pueblo revival home is far from Hollywood in an area renowned as a retreat for artists and celebrities wanting to escape the spotlight.
Hackman, 95, died of heart disease with complications from Alzheimer's disease about a week after Arakawa, 65, died of hantavirus.
The records detail some of Arakawa's last emails, phone calls and internet searches that appear to show she was looking for information on flu-like symptoms and breathing techniques. The documents and video recordings were released after a court ruled that most of them are public record but ordered that the couple's bodies would have to be blocked from view.
Arakawa´s computer showed that between February 8 and the morning of February 12, she was researching medical conditions related to COVID-19 and flu-like symptoms, according to the records released by the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office.
In an email to her masseuse, she said Hackman woke up Feb. 11 with flu or cold-like symptoms and she'd have to reschedule her appointment for the next day.
Her search history on the morning of Feb. 12 showed she was looking into a medical concierge service in Santa Fe. A call with the service lasted less than two minutes, and she missed a return call later that afternoon, according to investigators.
'Even though two people passed away in the house, there will still be plenty of offers,' added the real estate expert
Initially, all photos, video and documents from the investigation were sealed by a temporary court order.
Hackman appeared in a broad range of movie roles dating back to 1961, when he debuted in Mad Dog Coll.
His roles included playing the arch nemesis Lex Luthor in the Superman movies and a coach finding redemption in the sentimental favorite Hoosiers.
He was a five-time Oscar nominee who won best actor in a leading role for The French Connection in 1972 and best actor in a supporting role for Unforgiven two decades later. He retired in the early 2000s.
Arakawa was born in Hawaii in December 1959 and grew up in Honolulu. She studied piano and, as an 11-year-old sixth grader, performed in youth concerts in front of thousands of students at the Honolulu International Center Concert Hall, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin reported in 1971.
She attended the University of Southern California and was a cheerleader for the Aztecs, a professional soccer team in the North American Soccer League.
The artist also worked as a production assistant on the television game show Card Sharks, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported in 1981.
Betsy met Hackman while working part-time at a California gym in the mid-1980s. They soon moved in together and relocated to Santa Fe by the end of the decade.
Arakawa was vice president of Pandora´s, a home decor and furnishing store in Santa Fe, according to New Mexico business records.