Everything You Need To Know About the Late Betsy Arakawa's Net Worth and Will

According to The New York Times, Gene Hackman met his second wife in 1984 while she was working part-time at the gym. Betsy Arakawa was 23 at the time and was more than 30 years his junior. Five years later, the couple was living in a two-bedroom adobe house in Santa Fe, N.M.

A little over 35 years later, they were found dead in their home along with their dog.

Betsy was a classically trained pianist. Being a musician can be a thankless job. What was her net worth? Here's what we know.

Although we can't confirm what Betsy's net worth was, we can assume it was the same as her husband's as the two were together for more than half of her life. His net worth was reportedly $80 million, which probably stretched pretty far in Santa Fe. As far as Betsy's career goes, by all accounts, she took a step back to focus on her marriage and getting to know her adult stepchildren.

When the couple met, Gene was still married to his first wife, Faye Maltese. Despite the overlap, the actor assured the Sun Sentinel that he did not leave his wife for a younger woman. "We just drifted apart," he said. "We lost sight of each other. When you work in this business, marriage takes a great deal of work and love."

In April 1990, Gene and Betsy's home was featured in Architectural Digest. Originally built in the 1950s, Santa Fe architect Stephen Samuelson said it was "horrible" but was on a great site and had a foundation that was "well placed on the land."

Gene was working, so Betsy spent much of her time on-site taking pictures she could send to him. The couple also sourced furniture from antique stores or auctions. After all was said and done, Stephen said it was both "massive and cozy."

On Friday, March 14, 2025, multiple outlets reported that Betsy's will had been made public. Court documents revealed that Betsy left most of her assets to her late husband, Gene Hackman.

However, there's a major stipulation: If the couple died within 90 days of each other, their deaths would be treated as simultaneous. In that case, all of Betsy's assets — likely including anything she inherited from Gene — would go to charity.

With Gene's passing following Betsy's, this provision could mean that his $80 million fortune, which was meant to be inherited by just Betsy, might instead be directed to charity rather than staying within the family.

This puts Gene's three children — Christopher, Elizabeth, and Leslie — in a difficult position. While they are listed as heirs in Gene's will, they may now be forced to fight for their inheritance, as Betsy's will could redirect her assets (including those inherited from Gene) to charitable causes.

The trio might even challenge Betsy's will, arguing that they should inherit from Gene's estate. They could also question the applicability of the 90-day rule or look for ways to alter the distribution of assets.

Sources indicate that Christopher has hired Andrew M. Katzenstein, a prominent California trust and estate lawyer, signaling that he may be preparing to contest Betsy's will in court.