Basic Trope: A wealthy person finds himself in a situation that he can't bribe his way out of.
- Straight: Jason The Billionaire is being hunted by Jack The Killer, and when he tries to pay off Jack in exchange for his life, Jack laughs in his face and says he isn't for sale before killing him.
- Exaggerated: Jason throws dollar bills at Jack. Jack kills him and stuffs the money into Jason's open chest cavity.
- Downplayed:
- Jason tries paying Jack, but Jack still severely disfigures him.
- Jason tries to bribe officials with his money, only to find out despite their corruption they don't take money from anyone with money, only those they know and trust.
- Justified:
- Jack is too much of a maniac to care about things like money. He loves only murder.
- Jason wronged Jack in the past. As a result, Jack is too vengeful for Jason to bribe.
- Jack has a grudge against the wealthy and especially against people who try to bribe their way out of trouble.
- Jack has a twisted sense of honor that prevents him from taking money from potential targets.
- Jack is a uber-powerful Implacable Man who can cut through any obstacle or armed guards Jason can bribe.
- Jack is a supernatural monster with no concern for things like money or bonds.
- Jack the tiger only understands his hunger and Jason seems to be just what he needs to sate it.
- Jack is a contract killer whose reputation could suffer if he refused to kill a target out of pure greed.
- It's The End of the World as We Know It and Jack needs something Jason has… which is food and shelter. The billions of dollars in the home's vault are only useful as kindling (or toilet paper).
- Jason may be rich, but he's so unpleasant that nobody will risk Jack's wrath to protect him.
- Jason was guilty of an extremely evil act in the past. Everybody, even Jason's bodyguards, think he deserves Jack's nonexistant mercies.
- Jack already broke into Jason's home to rob him blind and is wondering whether or not to silence Jason as a witness, so offering him a couple of million dollars is superfluous (as well as impractical in various ways, like leaving an electronic trace if it is a transaction).
- Jack is a Dirty Cop in a very corrupt society. His vicarious authority wins out over Jason's wealth, meaning he can take Jason's money and kill him without any second thought.
- Inverted:
- Jason hires a good bodyguard to protect him from Jack.
- Money is power and Jason had a lot of it - unfortunately, that meant that he had to be removed as an obstacle for Jack's own accrual of it.
- Subverted:
- Jack seems to be about to mock Jason for trying to bribe him...but Jason offers more money, and Jack takes it.
- Jason can't bribe Jack but buys a top-notch security system that can keep Jack out.
- Double Subverted:
- Jack pretends to take Jason's money...only for Jack to kill him and keep the money anyways.
- Jack notices Jason's security upgrade, decides that it's one of the reasons Jason deserves to die], and gathers the necessary means to bypass (or overpower) the security.
- Parodied: Jack won't take a bribe...but he will take Jason's leftover chicken as payment.
- Zigzagged:
- Jack will spare some people for money but kill people he truly hates.
- While direct bribery doesn't work on Jack, Jason can hire mercenaries to defend him.
- Jack is a mercenary and whether or not giving him a bribe to be allowed to go depends on his daily mood/exactly how much money he is being bribed with/how much he needs to work on his reputation that day/how much he cares for the cause.
- Averted: Jason's money allows him to buy enough security and protection from Jack The Killer.
- Enforced: "Jason is a rich brat, and he needs to learn his money doesn't make him invincible."
- Lampshaded: "Jeff won't let you go for a few bucks. He's too proud or crazy to spare a target."
- Invoked: Jeff has a particular dislike for wealthy people. On top of killing them, he likes to bring them down a peg.
- Defied:
- While Jack is a killer, wealthy people are much harder to kill than the average target and so he sticks to the average Joe.
- Jason is rich enough to afford a good gym program and a self defense training course, meaning he has the strength to fight Jack off.
- Discussed:
- "Money? Do you think you can escape me with money?! I'm looking for a sweeter prize!"
Jason: Do you know who I am?
[*Click* Hello]
Jack: Well, do you? I don't think you do. But right now, you're currently the man who has a .500 S&W Magnum revolver pointed right between his eyes. So do as I say, sit down and SHUT THE FUCK UP! - Deconstructed:
- Even if Jack kills Jason, Jason is still a wealthy person with connections that would stop at nothing to bring down the person who killed Jason.
- Jack's lack of concern for his targets proves how much of a deranged maniac he is and brings a lot of unwanted attention to himself.
- Reconstructed:
- Jack is still too powerful to be brought down by any authority.
- Jack has so much experience as a killer that he can escape the wrath of the enemies he brings upon himself.
- Played For Laughs: Jason tries to buy Jack off with a Comically Small Bribe, which Jack refuses, leading to Jason quipping that Jack is impossible to bribe.
- Played For Drama:
- Jason was a good, hardworking guy who earned his wealth. He breaks down and cries over his hard work meaning nothing in the long run since a maniac can still get him.
- Jason lives in a society that breaks down in one way or another and is shaken by the fact that his wealth isn't worth anything, with no law and order to protect him.
- Jason is a family man who cares for his wife and kids and is upset none of his million can protect them from a monster.
- Jason was a complete scumbag through and through, and has wronged Jack to the point of ruining his life. It's only fair that the latter, whose life was ruined, takes the life of the former.
- Played For Horror: Jack's lack of concern for material things over the agonizing shrieks of his targets proves how much of a sick monster he is.
