History Main / MoneyIsNotPower

But then shit hits the fan. Maybe it's a natural disaster, an unstoppable disease, the UsefulNotes/RMSTitanic, or even TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt. Or maybe it's merely a [[CommieLand Communist]] revolution or some weird kind of hyperinflation. Suddenly, all that wealth isn't worth so much, because people are more worried about plain ol' survival rather than making money. However, it could be on a much smaller scale -- maybe [[KidsPreferBoxes Kids Just Prefer Boxes]] or money simply isn't important to somebody.

There's always that one rich {{Jerkass}} -- the corporate snob, that one with the Lexus, that arrogant prick who's always looking down his nose at everybody else. He can have anything he wants, because [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney ha ha; he's rich]].

* ''{{Titanic}}'': Cal tries to bribe his way off the [[ItWasHisSled doomed ship]]. While it appears to work initially, the money is thrown back in his face when it matters most. Put nicely by First Officer Murdoch:
-->'''Murdoch:''' Your money can't save you anymore than it could save me!

* ''BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' has a case of this in the episode "The Terrible Trio" where Warren, the groups leader truly thinks that he can get away with murder because [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney he has money]]. When he finds he can't bribe Batman he still thinks that his family's lawyers will get him off. This is followed by a GilliganCut to him being thrown in jail.

There's always that one rich {{Jerkass}} -- the corporate snob, that one with the Lexus, that arrogant prick who's always looking down his nose at everybody else. He can have anything he wants, because [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney ha ha; he's rich]].

Getting hit with this trope is typically a huge moment for any character used to money solving all their problems. Sometimes it can lead up to a VillainousBSOD or even a HeelFaceTurn. Or sometimes he just dies.

Compare ScrewTheMoneyIHaveRules and WorthlessYellowRocks.

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* In ''Manga/RurouniKenshin'', opium kingpin Takeda Kanryuu tries to bribe Kenshin out of attacking his mansion. This works about as well as you'd expect. {{Discussed|Trope}} by his DragonInChief Shinomori Aoshi:
--> '''Aoshi:''' You don't get it. Your money's of no use here. Himura Battousai does not live for gain--I told you.

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* ''ComicBook/VForVendetta:'' this is the final fate of RichBitch Helen, having lost all money and power, with her husband (who was in charge of the Norsefire party's SinisterSurveillance) dead, having just killed her lover (an up-and-coming street rat, who she was grooming to become the chief of Norsefire's goons), and the total collapse of the Norsefire party leaves her on the street. She desperately flings herself onto the first guy she recognizes as a former party member, trying to seduce him that with her they'll seize power. He no longer cares about any of it, and leaves her screeching.

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* ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'': Corporate mogul John Daggett gets hit in the face by this trope when [[DragonWithAnAgenda Bane]] stops doing what he's told.
-->'''Bane:''' ''[to Stryver]'' Leave us.
-->'''Daggett:''' No, you stay here. I'm in charge! ''[Bane puts his hand on Daggett's shoulder; Daggett craps his pants]''
-->'''Bane:''' Do you ''feel'' in charge? ''[Stryver leaves]''
-->'''Daggett:''' ''[almost whimpering]'' I paid you a small fortune!
-->'''Bane:''' And this gives you power over me?
-->'''Daggett:''' What is this?
-->'''Bane:''' Your money and infrastructure have been important...'til now.

* ''Film/TheWarOfTheWorlds1953''. As Los Angeles is being evacuated, people are rioting in the streets while trying to obtain transportation out of the city.
-->'''Man:''' Let me up. I'll give you $500 for your place. I'll make it $1,000.
-->'''Man in truck:''' Money's no good anymore!

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* ''Discworld/{{Making Money}}'' plays with this trope: Moist Von Lipwig, BoxedCrook, works for the government as the leader of the National Bank, treating it as a complex con game, which, in a very real sense, it is. He faces the resistance of the Turvy family, who are the RoyallyScrewedUp shareholders of the bank. And while their money definitely grants them power, this power is mere ''leverage'', not just Moist, but also their ''true'' opponent, the BigGood[[note]]sort of[[/note]] Vetinari, know and understand this much better than they do.
* This is Koreiko's plight in ''Literature/TheLittleGoldenCalf'' and the reason why he patiently awaits the end of the Soviet rule. Ostap Bender also learns to appreciate this trope when he finally makes it big.

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* ''TheDarkKnightRises'': Corporate mogul John Daggett gets hit in the face by this trope when [[DragonWithAnAgenda Bane]] stops doing what he's told.

There's always that one rich {{Jerkass}} -- the corporate snob, that one with the Lexus, that arrogant prick who's always looking down his nose at everybody else. He can have anything he wants, because ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney.

But then shit hits the fan. Maybe it's a natural disaster, an unstoppable disease, the UsefulNotes/RMSTitanic, or even TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt. Or maybe it's merely a [[CommieLand Communist]] revolution or some weird kind of hyperinflation. Suddenly, all that wealth isn't worth so much, because people are more worried about plain ol' survival rather than making money. However, it could be on a much it's a much smaller scale -- maybe [[KidsPreferBoxes Kids Just Prefer Boxes]] or money simply isn't important to somebody.

But then shit hits the fan. Maybe it's a natural disaster, an unstoppable disease, the RMSTitanic, or even TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt. Or maybe it's merely a [[CommieLand Communist]] revolution or some weird kind of hyperinflation. Suddenly, all that wealth isn't worth so much, because people are more worried about plain ol' survival rather than making money. However, it could be on a much it's a much smaller scale -- maybe [[KidsPreferBoxes Kids Just Prefer Boxes]] or money simply isn't important to somebody.

* ''VForVendetta:'' this is the final fate of RichBitch Helen, having lost all money and power, with her husband (who was in charge of the Norsefire party's SinisterSurveillance) dead, having just killed her lover (an up-and-coming street rat, who she was grooming to become the chief of Norsefire's goons), and the total collapse of the Norsefire party leaves her on the street. She desperately flings herself onto the first guy she recognizes as a former party member, trying to seduce him that with her they'll seize power. He no longer cares about any of it, and leaves her screeching.

* A textbook example of hyperinflation making money worthless: after World War I, the German economy imploded to such a degree that it took wheelbarrows full of Reichmarks to buy a single loaf of bread.

* In one episode of ''{{WesternAnimation/Arthur}}'', Elwood City is struck by a massive blizzard. Mr. Crosswire manages to beat Mr. Reed to the last of the food at the supermarket, but that's where his influence ends. Upon returning home, Muffy complains that none of her electrical devices are working and begs him to fix it by paying someone. He replies "This is something money can't fix."

* ''{{Titanic}}'': Cal tries to bribe his way off the [[ItWasHisSled doomed ship]]. While it appears to work initially, the money is thrown back in his face when it matters most.

* ''[[TwentyEightDaysLater 28 Days Later]]'': Mark talks about the early days, when people were trying to escape the city.

* This is Koreiko's plight in ''TheLittleGoldenCalf'' and the reason why he patiently awaits the end of the Soviet rule. Ostap Bender also learns to appreciate this trope when he finally makes it big.

* ''Discworld/{{Making Money}}'' plays with this trope: Moist Von Lipwig, BoxedCrook, works for the government as the leader of the National Bank, treating it as a complex con game, which, in a very real sense, it is. He faces the resistance of the Turvy family, who are the RoyallyScrewedUp shareholders of the bank. And while their money definitely grants them power, this power is mere ''leverage'', not just Moist, but also their ''true'' opponent, the BigGood[[hottip:*sort of]] Vetinari, know and understand this much better than they do.

But then shit hits the fan. Maybe it's a natural disaster, an unstoppable disease, the {{Titanic}}, or even TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt. Or maybe it's merely a [[CommieLand Communist]] revolution or some weird kind of hyperinflation. Suddenly, all that wealth isn't worth so much, because people are more worried about plain ol' survival rather than making money. However, it could be on a much it's a much smaller scale -- maybe [[KidsPreferBoxes Kids Just Prefer Boxes]] or money simply isn't important to somebody.

* In ''BattleRoyale'' Oda is a rich asshole that claims he doesn't belong in the Program because his father works for the government. He finds out that they don't care one bit who you are. Everyone goes to the Program at random, even rich people.

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'''Examples:'''

* Late Colombian cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar had a saying: "mi plomo o mi plata" ("my lead, or my silver"), which basically was saying if you don't take my money (and play ball), you'll take a bullet--basically an added incentive against ScrewTheMoneyIHaveRules for those who might otherwise be so inclined.

But then shit hits the fan. Maybe it's a natural disaster, an unstoppable disease, the {{Titanic}}, or even TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt. Or maybe it's merely a [[CommieLand Communist]] revolution or a hyperinflation that makes all those money [[FunnyMoney funny]]. Suddenly, all that wealth isn't worth so much, because people are more worried about plain ol' survival rather than making money. However, it could be on a much it's a much smaller scale -- maybe [[KidsPreferBoxes Kids Just Prefer Boxes]] or money simply isn't important to somebody.

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There's always that rich {{Jerkass}} -- the corporate snob, that one with the Lexus, that arrogant prick who's always looking down his nose at everybody else. He can have anything he wants, because ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney.