#2 JBL showcased his wealth on SmackDown in the 2000's
When the A.P.A. days were over in WWE, and Faarooq left the company in 2004, Bradshaw needed a new direction. At the same time, SmackDown needed a heel and the John "Bradshaw" Layfield character was born. Inspired by J.R. Ewing from the classic Dallas series, JBL used his real-life association with Wall Street to develop a rich man gimmick.
The character was immediately disliked and became one of the most depised heels of this particular era. The persona grew and grew each week as JBL came to the ring in a limo at every show. He eventually won the WWE Championship and had a near year-long reign. JBL was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2021 crediting the gimmick for one of the best runs of his career.
#1 "The Million Dollar Man" Ted Dibiase was one of WWE's greatest villains
Everyone's got a price for the million dollar man! Those words were uttered by Ted Dibiase during the greatest periods of his career. In 1987, "The Million Dollar Man" was born, carrying his golden Million Dollar Championship. He was dubbed a millionaire and flaunted his status in every move. He was one of Vince McMahon's key players in the late 80's and early 90's.
He had plenty of money to throw around, and he even managed to get his own personal butler in the form of Virgil, and bribed his way out of a lot of scenarios. Ted's gimmick has so far stood the test of time and is still fondly remembered to this day. The only blemish on his Hall of Fame career is that he never officially became a WWE Champion because that run, no pun intended, would have been money.