What do you think is adequate compensation for 26 years of marriage? Most would say half, but what if you're married to a billionaire you estimate is worth $18 billion? Could you live with $974.8 million? For Sue Ann Arnall, the now-ex wife of Harold Hamm, chief executive of oil driller Continental Resources, the answer to that was return to sender… literally.
Arnall received a hand-written check for the full $974.8 million and her lawyer, Michael Burrage, rejected it because of a November divorce ruling by an Oklahoma County judge they hope to overturn.
"Ms. Arnall, through her counsel, stated that they were rejecting the ... payment because Ms. Arnall did not want to risk the dismissal of her appeal by acceptance of the benefits," Burrage wrote.
The major point of contention in the divorce proceeding is the actual amount that Hamm is worth. While Arnall's team believes the number is around $18 billion, Hamm is contending that the volatile market tied to his fortune has sunk his finances, and even the $974.8 million was too much. The Oklahoma Supreme Court, will hear the appeal in the near future and we're interested to see what will come of it.
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Harold Hamm offers $975 mln divorce check; ex-wife rejects it (CNBC)