Ted DiBiase's Million Dollar Man Gimmick Extended Far Beyond The Wrestling Ring

For the WWF, one of its classic heel gimmicks cost the company a pretty penny.

During the late 1980s and 1990s, future WWF Hall of Famer Ted DiBiase's "Million Dollar Man" character became one of the most fondly remembered heels in professional wrestling history -– a wealthy swindler who always finagled a way to come out on top. DiBiase joined the company fulltime in 1987 and he, and his wallet, soon became a prominent part of WWF television.

At one point, in a 1988 WWF storyline, he even paid Andre the Giant to win the WWF World Championship off of Hulk Hogan for him. And after the company invalidated DiBiase's attempt at buying the championship, he made his own "Million Dollar Championship" the next year.

In an era in which professional wrestlers were known for keeping up their storylines outside of the ring, DiBiase had to live up to the lavish lifestyle his in-ring persona carried on television— and former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon was reportedly willing to foot the bill to allow his wrestlers to become larger-than-life personas day-in and day-out.

According to Bleacher Report's Matthew Hester, "Vince wanted him to be so believable that they would often travel him first class and book him in the best rooms." Hester also writes that DiBiase "was also given spending cash to carry around just to throw it around for people to see." And what a wad of cash it was.

DiBiase was given a cash allowance in order to hit the town to flaunt his character's pompous and affluent attitude, according to stories the wrestler told since he retired in 1993 and transitioned to backstage roles.

But during his time wrestling and managing stars like Andre the Giant, Virgil, and Steve Austin, DiBiase lived it up outside the ring.

As DiBiase recalled to ESPN, Vince McMahon once told him, "In an effort to market this character, we are going to try to the best of our ability to make the public believe you are this Million Dollar Man. Everywhere the public sees you they are going to see the appearance of wealth."

DiBiase remembered McMahon saying, "You know how annoying it is if you walk in a store, you just bought a pack of gum, you throw down a hundred-dollar bill, and they have to make change? I want you to do things like that. Go to a restaurant, have Virgil with you, and just get up and announce yourself, and say, 'Folks, it is your lucky day. I am the Million Dollar Man from WWF, and I'm picking up your tab.' Have Virgil get everyone's ticket, throw down some hundreds, have Virgil get the receipt, bring the receipt back to the office, we replenish it.'" DiBiase said he "only did that a couple times," but the tab racked up on McMahon.