2 Reasons Fracking Tycoon Harold Hamm Sent Ex a $975M Personal Check

Harold Hamm's ex-wife rejected a $975 million check amid divorce proceedings.

ByABC News
January 7, 2015, 10:16 PM

— -- There were two reasons a fracking tycoon Harold Hamm wrote a $975 million check to settle a divorce, his attorney said.

"The check was delivered, number one, in an effort to resolve this case," Craig Box told ABC News today. "And two, the tendering of the check or presenting it in Oklahoma law would stop any accrued interest from that date, even if the check is rejected."

Continental Resources CEO Harold Hamm wrote a check dated Jan. 5 for $974,790,317.77 to settle divorce proceedings with his second wife that have spanned about two years.

But his wife of more than 25 years, Sue Ann Arnall, an attorney and former executive at the company, rejected the check that was delivered to her legal team, his attorneys told media outlets Tuesday.

“All we’ve been told is they have rejected it because they believed it compromised her pending appeal in Oklahoma Supreme Court,” Box said.

Hamm and Arnall both appealed the November divorce judgment that awarded her about $1 billion.

PHOTO: A divorce settlement check from Harold Hamm, chief executive of oil driller Continental Resources, to ex-wife Sue Ann Arnall in the amount of $974.8 million is shown in this image from a court document released to Reuters, Jan. 6, 2015.
A divorce settlement check from Harold Hamm, chief executive of oil driller Continental Resources, to ex-wife Sue Ann Arnall in the amount of $974.8 million is shown in this image from a court document released to Reuters, Jan. 6, 2015.

Box declined to say whether either party requested a specific settlement amount. Hamm is worth more than $8 billion, according to Forbes.

After a hearing Tuesday, there are no scheduled court dates at this point, Box said.

An attorney for Arnall did not respond to a request for comment.