By Linette Lopez From Business Insider

An Oklahoma Judge has handed down the ruling in the most expensive divorce in US history — between billionaire energy magnate Harold Hamm and his ex-wife Sue Ann.

CNBC reports that she’ll be given less than $1 billion of Hamm’s $16 billion fortune.

Hamm made his fortune through the oil and gas company he founded in 1967, Continental Resources. He owns 68% of the company.

He met his ex-wife there and she has served as a company attorney and in executives roles at the firm. They were married in 1988 without a prenup — which means Hamm could’ve had to hand over half his fortune to Sue Ann.

The case was strange, not just for its size, but also for how it proceeded. The general counsel of Continental, Eric Eissenstat, had a huge role in the courtroom even though he didn’t represent either party. The Judge was so friendly with Eissenstat he would toss him candy during the proceedings.

“It sounds like the corporation is part of the divorce case,” said Arnold Rutkin, a lawyer at Rutkin Oldham in Connecticut told Reuters. “There are only two parties in a divorce: husband and wife.”

Reuters also reported that Sue Ann’s team alleged that Continental intervened in the divorce in Hamm’s favor. In part, that means the company downplayed Hamm’s role in its success, essentially chalking it up to friendly market conditions rather than his hard work.

In Oklahoma, if lawyers could prove that Continental’s stock gains were made due to the market conditions rather than Hamm’s leadership, those gains would be off the table in the divorce settlement.

The title of “most expensive divorce” in the world goes to Russian oligarch Dmitry Rybolovlev, who paid his wife $4.5 billion.

All together Sue Ann will be getting $995.5 million, with a third of that due by the end of the year. The rest will be paid in installments of $7 million a month.

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Related story:

A ruling is expected in the $18 billion divorce of a shale fracking magnate within days

By Stefano Pozzebon From Business Insider

The final pronunciation on what could be the richest divorce in history is expected in days.

Harold and Sue Ann Hamm first filed for divorce in March 2013.

After nine weeks of hearings, Oklahoma County judge Harold Haralson is expected to file his final ruling by Oct. 23, News Oklahoma reported.

Mr Hamm is Oklahoma’s richest man and, with current assets of around $14 billion, he is the 29th richest American. Most of his wealth depends on his 68% stake in Continental Resources, the oil company he founded in 1967. The company made a fortune in the shale fracking boom in North Dakota and Montana.

Mr Hamm also met his wife at Continental, where she has been working as an attorney and held executive roles. She also testified in Congress on behalf of Continental, Reuters reported. The couple married in 1988 without a pre-nuptial agreement.

In filing for divorce, Mrs Hamm demanded half the money his husband acquired during the 26 years of their marriage, what in legal terms is called “marital property,” and currently calculated at $17.6 billion.

The massive figure at stake make it potentially the richest divorce in history: the closest precedent is the divorce between Rupert and Ann Murdoch, in which Murdoch’s wife was awarded $1.7 billion.

If the judge agrees with the wife, Mr Hamm could have to sell his company to pay for the ruling. In September, Reuters broke the story that Continental was revising its corporate history to diminish Hamm’s role in the company success, a strategy to minimize the losses in the divorce. Under Oklahoma law, if Hamm can show that its success was due to market conditions, rather than to Continental’s own management, he would not be forced to share half of the profits with his wife.

IMAGE: Harold HammAP Photo/Evan Agostini Harold and Sue Ann Hamm at the 2012 TIME 100 gala.

For more on this story go to: http://www.businessinsider.com/harold-and-sue-ann-hamm-divorce-for-18-billion-2014-10#ixzz3GEHQ9bM3