Sue Ann Arnall, the ex-wife of Continental Resources Chief Executive Officer and Chairman Harold Hamm, has appealed a divorce judgment that awarded her around $1 billion from the Hamm marital estate, her lawyers said on Friday. The appeal by Ms. Arnall, who has gone back to using her maiden name, comes after Oklahoma County Court Judge Howard Haralson ruled last month that Hamm would have to pay her around $1 billion, including cash and assets, over a period of years as a result of the couple's divorce.

The decision allowed Harold Hamm to retain most of the wealth stemming from his 68 percent Continental stake, deeming it his "separate property." Harold Hamm's divorce attorneys have called Haralson's ruling equitable, but the oilman's ex-wife considers it unfair. During trial, her legal team valued the couple's total wealth at around $18 billion, and contended it should be divided equitably between the spouses, who were married for nearly 26 years. Hamm founded Continental in 1967, years before the couple wed, but the vast majority of the company's growth came during the marriage.

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-- Reuters