Gene Hackman’s $80 Million Estate in Turmoil Over Massive Credit Card Debt

The estate of late Hollywood legend Gene Hackman is facing unexpected financial troubles following the sudden deaths of both Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa.

RadarOnline.com confirmed that Citibank has filed a claim against Hackman’s estate demanding repayment of a staggering $98,345.29 tied to a Mastercard account. And that’s not all—Betsy Arakawa’s estate is also being hit, with Bank of America alleging she owed $4,329.75 at the time of her passing. Combined, the couple reportedly left behind more than $100,000 in credit card debt.

This comes as a shock considering Hackman’s estimated $80 million fortune.

Hackman and Arakawa were found dead inside their $3.3 million Santa Fe, New Mexico compound on February 26, 2025. Officials later determined that Arakawa had died about a week earlier, on February 11, from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. Hackman, 95, died on February 18 from complications related to heart disease and Alzheimer’s, according to the New Mexico medical examiner.

The couple’s deaths sparked local concern when sheriff’s deputies responded to a welfare check at the home. According to the official report, the front door was found open, and multiple dogs were on the property—one alive and running loose, one near Arakawa, and a third found dead in a bathroom closet.

There were no signs of foul play, and investigators noted scattered pills near Arakawa’s body. Hackman was found in a separate room.

The couple married in 1991 and kept a relatively private life after Hackman’s retirement from acting in 2004. Their deaths and the financial revelations that followed have left fans stunned.

As the estates are sorted out, questions are swirling over how such large debts were left unpaid—and what happens next with Hackman’s legacy.