It’s hard to imagine not accepting a personal check made out for nearly $1 billion, but a woman involved in a divorce dispute with her oil billionaire ex-husband did just that – and demanded much more in a settlement.
In the divorce proceeding, tycoon Harold Hamm offered to pay his former wife, Sue Ann Arnall, $975 million as a settlement after negotiations that dragged on for more than two years.
Hamm - who built the oil firm Continental Resources and led development of North Dakota’s Bakken oil field - sent Arnall a personal check made out for the amount, which was based on a November divorce ruling by an Oklahoma judge.
The ex-wife believes she’s entitled to much more money after supporting Hamm personally and professionally during the couple’s 26-year marriage.
She also reportedly believed that by cashing the check for $975 million, she would jeopardize an appeal in the court to her ex-husband’s proposed settlement.
Forbes estimates Hamm’s current net worth at $8.5 billion, but it was previously placed at more than double that amount before a downturn in his wealth connected to the energy industry and a steep drop in oil prices.
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