From The Theory of the Leisure Class

As relevant today as ever:

The thief or swindler who has gained great wealth by his delinquency has a better chance than the small thief of escaping the rigorous penalty of the law; and some good repute accrues to him from his increased wealth and from his spending the irregularly acquired possessions in a seemly manner.

- Thorstein Veblen, The Theory of the Leisure Class (1899)