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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteGene Hackman died of heart disease, with advanced Alzheimer’s disease as a contributing factor, according to New Mexico’s Chief Medical Investigator. Investigators believe he died around February 18, 2025, about a week after his wife, Betsy Arakawa, died around February 11 of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. The couple were found dead in their Santa Fe, New Mexico, home on February 26, 2025. The widely repeated figure of about $80 million is a media-reported estimate, not a verified net worth or a final estate value.
What the medical examiner found
The New Mexico Office of the Chief Medical Investigator announced its findings at a briefing on March 7, 2025, reported by CBS News and the Associated Press. Both deaths were classified as natural. The causes were different, and they were not linked in the way early public speculation sometimes implied.
Gene Hackman
Hackman, who was 95, died of heart disease. Chief Medical Investigator Heather Jarrell described his health at the briefing: “He was in a very poor state of health. He had significant heart disease, and I think ultimately that is what resulted in his death.” Advanced Alzheimer’s disease was recorded as a contributing factor.
Betsy Arakawa
Arakawa, who was 65, died of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. An autopsy on her body was reported by the Associated Press, which covered the release of the autopsy findings. Hantavirus is spread mainly through contact with the droppings, urine or saliva of infected rodents, and the syndrome is a serious lung illness. Officials did not describe a source of exposure in the public statements, so none should be assumed in reporting.
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How investigators built the timeline
The dates below are reconstructions from the sheriff’s account, the medical examiner’s briefing and device data from Hackman’s pacemaker. None of them is an exact time of death, and each should be read with the basis column in mind.
| Date (2025) | Event | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| February 11 | Arakawa’s last known activity; investigators estimate her death around this date | Investigators’ reconstruction, reported by the Associated Press |
| February 17 | Hackman’s pacemaker records cardiac activity | Pacemaker data cited in the medical examiner’s briefing |
| February 18 | Pacemaker shows an abnormal rhythm; the medical examiner said this date was a reasonable estimate for Hackman’s death | Pacemaker data and medical examiner estimate; not an exact time of death |
| February 26 | Hackman and Arakawa are found dead in their Santa Fe home | Discovery date reported by the sheriff and the Associated Press |
| March 7 | Official cause-of-death findings announced | New Mexico Chief Medical Investigator briefing, reported by CBS News |
| April 15 | Santa Fe County releases redacted investigative records after a court order | Santa Fe County statement |
The gap between the estimated deaths and the discovery explains why the timeline is an estimate rather than a record. Hackman and Arakawa were not found for eight days after the medical examiner’s estimated date for his death.
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What officials said about Alzheimer’s disease
Officials stated that Hackman had advanced Alzheimer’s disease. The medical examiner said it was possible he was not aware that Arakawa had died. That is a qualified possibility from the medical assessment, not an established fact about his final days, and it should be reported that way.
Early in the investigation, immediate carbon monoxide testing was negative. Officials ruled both deaths natural, and no finding in the public record has since contradicted that classification.
How much was Gene Hackman worth?
The most-cited figure is about $80 million. It appears in media coverage that attributed the number to Celebrity Net Worth, and InvestmentNews reported it in 2025 with a note of uncertainty. It is a reported estimate of his wealth around the time of his death, not an official valuation.
Why no verified current figure exists
Public reporting does not contain any of the following, so none can be used to confirm or update the $80 million estimate:
- An audited net worth or a personal financial statement
- A final estate inventory listing assets and their values
- A valuation dated after the 2025 reporting
Because the figure has not been updated in the public record, it should be described as an estimate from 2025 coverage, not as what Hackman is worth now.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Who inherits the estate
Legal analysis by Naomi R. Cahn and Reid Kress Weisbord, published through the University of Virginia School of Law and The Conversation, reported that Hackman’s will directed assets to a trust. The terms of that trust were not public in the coverage. A will provision alone does not establish how assets were ultimately distributed, and wills and trusts can be kept private, so the final beneficiaries and the settled value of the estate cannot be stated from the public record.
What remains public
Santa Fe County released redacted investigative records on April 15, 2025, after a court order. The county said it would respect a preliminary injunction in the matter. These records are the most direct public source for the investigation, but the redactions mean the released material does not cover every detail. Coverage that reports on private medical details beyond the cause-of-death findings adds little to the question of what happened.
For readers following the story, the reliable sources are the March 7, 2025 briefing as reported by CBS News, the Associated Press reporting on the timeline and the autopsy, and the county’s April 2025 statement.
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