Hollywood legend Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were tragically found dead in their Santa Fe, New Mexico home, along with their beloved pet dog.

The iconic actor, who recently celebrated his 95th birthday, was a recipient of two Academy Awards, two BAFTAs, four Golden Globes, and a Screen Actors Guild Award, solidifying his status as one of the greatest actors of all time. However, questions have arisen regarding the state of his finances at the time of his death in 2025. Despite earning millions throughout his illustrious career, Hackman retired from acting in 2004 due to health issues.

According to Celebrity Net Worth, the retired actor and novelist had an estimated net worth of $80 million. While such figures are often unverified and may not be entirely accurate, this estimation is plausible considering the number of successful films he starred in.

Hackman was not primarily motivated by money in his career choices, although he did confess to taking on one film role for “the wrong reasons.” He starred alongside Dennis Hopper in the 1996 sports movie Hoosiers, which has since become a classic, but admitted that his motivation for participating was purely financial.

The star died alongside his wife and dog ( 
Image:
Vera Anderson/WireImage)

He confessed, “I took the film at a time that I was desperate for money. I took it for all the wrong reasons, and it turned out to be one of those films that stick around.”

He added, “I was from that area of the country and knew of that event, strangely enough. We filmed 50 miles from where I was brought up. So it was a bizarre feeling. I never expected the film to have the kind of legs it’s had.”

Gene and Betsy who had been married since 1991, were found dead on Feb. 26 in the afternoon. Officials later confirmed their identities that night with Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza noting there was no immediate indication of foul play. “All I can say is that we’re in the middle of a preliminary death investigation, waiting on approval of a search warrant,” he said in a statement.

Gene had just celebrated his 95th birthday in January. He had stepped back from the spotlight, having not starred in a film since 2004’s Welcome to Mooseport.