Eleven days after being listed for sale, Gene Hackman's mansion in Santa Fe sold for 5.2 million dollars to a buyer whose identity has not been revealed.
Located in the gated community of Santa Fe Summit, this expansive wooded property spans 21.5 hectares and features a main house with 1,200 square meters of living space, seven full bathrooms, three half baths, six bedrooms, a large kitchen with chef's island and pantry, a grand dining room, several living rooms, wine cellar, game room, gym, floor-to-ceiling windows, and amenities such as an outdoor pool and private golf course.
Additionally, the property includes two additional buildings. A small house serves as an independent guest apartment with three bedrooms, and another building is a studio where the French Connection (1971) star unleashed his creativity as a painter and sculptor.
Living room of the actor and his wife's mansionSotheby's International Realty
Interestingly, this is where on February 26 of last year, the bodies of Gene Hackman, 95, and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, 65, were found. Authorities immediately began investigating as both deaths seemed somewhat unusual.
However, forensic experts determined that no third parties were involved in the deaths. They stated that the actor and pianist passed away approximately a week apart.
Arakawa's death on February 11 was attributed to a hantavirus infection, a rare disease caused by contact with saliva, urine, or feces of infected rodents. This unusual event led the New Mexico Department of Health to inspect the premises where dead rats and rodent nests were found in three garages, two vehicles, three sheds, and two small houses.
Betsy's situation precipitated the death of the two-time Oscar winner, who, due to his advanced age, passed away from starvation and a heart condition exacerbated by Alzheimer's.
The fortune of the former Lex Luthor in the classic Superman films amounted to 80 million dollars (67 million euros at the current exchange rate). His three children, Christopher (66), Elizabeth (63), and Leslie (59), from his first marriage to Faye Maltese, received nothing.
Gene and Betsy met at a gym in the mid-eighties. Despite her being 32 years younger, they were captivated by each other.
They married privately in 1991, and in 2003, they were last seen publicly happy at the Golden Globes ceremony. In 2004, Hackman announced his retirement from acting. Therefore, the couple made New Mexico their permanent residence.