How Ted DiBiase Jr.'s Life Kept Getting Worse After His WWE Run

In terms of how memorable they were, the WWE stable Legacy kind of falls through the cracks; they weren't as iconic as D-Generation X and The Shield, didn't have the highs and lows as Nexus, and weren't as infamously, laughably bad as Retribution. In truth, Legacy was just kind of there, despite the fact that it was a stable led by Randy Orton, one of the promotion's well known stars of the last 25 years, and featured a young Cody Rhodes, years before he would become a top star himself in both AEW and WWE. And a big part of the reason the stable may not have had that staying power, despite featuring those two names, is because the final member of the group went from a top wrestling prospect to the prospects of jail time.It's easy to forget these days, but the young star of Legacy wasn't supposed to be Rhodes; it was supposed to be Ted DiBiase Jr. 

A third generation star and the son of WWE Hall of Famer Ted DiBiase Sr., the younger DiBiase had the pedigree, the youth, and the traditional pro wrestler look that seemed all but destined to lead him to the top of the card. Those points were reinforced when he and Rhodes joined Legacy, and became the only two second or third generation stars to stick with Orton, while others such as Manu and Sim Snuka fell to the wayside. But where Orton and Rhodes found success following Legacy's dissolution, DiBiase Jr. became an afterthought. His attempts to incorporate his father's "Million Dollar Man" gimmick into his act as a singles heel star flamed out, and by the time DiBiase Jr. turned face and tried to adopt an everyman gimmick, the writing was on the wall. On September 1, 2013, DiBiase Jr. officially departed WWE; he later revealed he turned down a five year contract extension to do so, stating that "depression and anxiety" played a role in his decision to leave.

At first glance, it would appear that things did get better for DiBiase Jr. after his WWE departure, though not in regards to his wrestling career. That's because it essentially came to an end; while DiBiase Jr. never formally retired, he would only work 5 matches between the end of 2013 and June 2017, suggesting that the mental toll his WWE run had taken on him had completely turned him off from wrestling. He instead transitioned into a business career, taking up executive positions for companies such as One Life and CollegeGarageSale, and even starting his own company, Priceless Ventures LLC, a callback to his "Priceless" gimmick during his wrestling career. In another life, one would look at that and think that while DiBiase Jr.'s wrestling career didn't work out, he at least found success elsewhere.

Alas, now DiBiase Jr.'s story, along with that of his father's, is shrouded in scandal and, as alluded to earlier, potential jail time. Back in May 2022, DiBiase Jr. was among many individuals, alongside his father, brother, Brett DiBiase, and legendary NFL quarterback Brett Farve, who were sued by the Mississippi Department of Human Services. The department accused the DiBiase's and others in participating in a fraud that saw $20 million taken from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families anti-poverty program and used for other means, with DiBiase Jr. in particular being accused of receiving $3 million for his businesses. The legal proceedings are still ongoing, and have grown to incorporate the government, as DiBiase Jr. was later indicted on several charges, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering. It would be a situation so unbelievable if it wasn't actually happening. But it is, meaning that Ted DiBiase Jr. has gone from what some thought was a future wrestling Hall of Famer to a man involved in one of the biggest welfare scandals in recent memory.