Vampire Diaries Main Characters, Ranked By Wealth

Over the course of The Vampire Diaries on television and even after its end, some questions were raised. Certain questions about storylines and the overall details of the main characters. One question that fans often wondered about was each character’s wealth status.

Many scratched their heads wondering how Elena managed to stay afloat after her parents and Jenna’s death. It was clear that some characters were obviously more well off than others. You can’t be a centuries-old vampire without being nifty at saving money or making good investments. In some cases, wealth came from some socialite parents.

11 Bonnie

Bonnie’s wealth status is up in the air. She was supposedly abandoned by her mother but had a healthy relationship with her father. She was raised by her grandmother and was gutted at her death. But it’s not clear where she gets her income since her sole focus in the show is being a witch and saving the others.

Her wealth status isn’t questioned, especially when she’s trapped on the other side with Damon and appears as a ghost-like character for some time in the show.

10 Katherine

Is Katherine well off? It’s hard to say. She’s an aloof vampire who liked to wreak havoc and mooch off others, but not much is know of her actual financial status in the show. Fans are aware that she came from every respectable family back in her time period. Even after being exiled, she still strived in English society.

Throughout her time on the show, she often used her vampire compulsion to get what she wanted. She most likely never worked a day in her life. It’s unclear whether or not she had any real money hidden away or lived her life solely based on using her compulsion.

9 Jeremy

Jeremy Gilbert isn’t the lowest lowest-ranked when it comes to wealth. Fans aren’t 100 percent sure how he made some cash when he was a teenager. At the beginning of the show, Jeremy sold drugs to high school students, so it’s possible he made some money this way, but he could also have life insurance money left behind by his parents.

At some point in the show, he starts working at Mystic Grill and one can assume making minimum wage plus tips. When Jeremy becomes a hunter, he goes off the grid for a while and then returns when Elena wakes up from her slumber. He later becomes a teacher at the Salvatore Boarding House. Hopefully, Alric pays him well.

8 Matt

Blue-eyed and blonde-haired Matt is the show’s sweetheart. From the start, Matt was a hard worker who provided for himself and his sister, Vicky. He worked different jobs and was mostly known for working at Mystic Grill. This could have led to a sizable amount in tips, seeing as Matt was so well-liked.

As the show progressed, Matt had to grow up even more and soon found a career in law enforcement. He was first a deputy turned Sheriff while Elena is in her slumber. In a small town like Mystic Falls, it’s possible that Matt could have had a comfortable income to live off of.

7 Alaric

Piecing together all of Alaric’s history in the show, he should have a decent amount of cash in the bank. Before becoming a hunter, he was a normal guy and attended Duke University, and fell in love with Isobel. After moving to Mystic Falls, he became a history teacher.

Alaric seems like a responsible person and would have put aside enough money to live comfortably while being sucked into the world of the supernatural. Along the way, Alaric also became a college professor at Whitmore College. While he had every right to turn the Salvatore boarding house into a school, he also had to have enough funds to get it started.

6 Caroline

When the show first introduced Caroline, she was the spoiled and popular girl at school. She often liked to go shopping and buy new clothes and live a life of luxury. Her mother was the town Sheriff, while her father was out of the picture. But the show did detail that she had a good relationship with him.

It’s possible that both her father and mother gave her pocket money, but she also comes from a long line of the town’s Founding Families. Caroline came to stand on her own two feet as the show progressed. She even worked at a local news station. At one point, she also lives comfortably with Alaric and their daughters. By the end of the show, she helps him open the boarding school.

5 Elena

There were some questions raised about Elena’s character in the show. Many wondered how she was able to afford the beautiful ball gown in the episode “Dangerous Liaisons.” The same can be said for her red dress that Caroline had her eye on.

In the show, fans don’t see Elena work a full-time job. It’s possible that her parents left her a hefty amount of money and a life insurance policy for her and Jeremy to get by after their death, as well as their uncle John. It’s safe to assume that she didn’t have many expenses living with Stefan and Damon, who could simply use compulsion to get what they want.

4 Tyler

Out of the friend group, Tyler was the most well off from the start. It wasn’t a secret that Tyler loved to party and abuse his rich and powerful status given by his parents. He didn’t have to worry about financial issues. Much like Elena, it’s also possible his parents had a life insurance policy after their death.

At some point in the show, Tyler leaves Mystic Falls to try and live a normal life in New York. It’s hinted that he was a bank trader and made a good amount of money for himself.

3 Stefan

Stefan and Damon are in the same boat when it comes to their wealth. They came from respectable Founding Family but had their demons when it came to family turmoil. It’s clear that Stefan never actually worked during his time as a vampire, and fans can speculate that the wealth made from the logging mill business was passed on through the generations.

Over time, it’s possible the Salvatore family name made large investments, not to mention a big boarding house. What vampire would need to work? Their ability to use compulsion would alleviate any of their money issues in a snap.

2 Damon

Damon follows the same guidelines as Stefan when it comes to wealth and he could have easily had access to family money. Seeing as it’s also Damon, he wouldn’t have paid for anything. Throughout the show, Damon uses compulsion for just about everything.

This means that there is no need to pay bills, buy clothing, and certainly no grocery expenses. Damon is wealthy in the sense that he could have anything he wanted with a simple look into another person’s eyes.

1 Klaus

Klaus takes the cake for being the wealthiest anti-hero in the show. To start, the Mikaelson family is the oldest of the old when it comes to vampire lineage. While Klaus could have simply used compulsion, he’s also a businessman, along with his brother. Looking into Klaus’s history, in the 1700’s he helped the Governor of New Orleans build their first levees.

He even pays the governor in gold to keep their secret. Klaus lived a life of luxury throughout the centuries, even owning a rare paragon diamond. Add in compulsion and he’s the richest man in the world, by anyone’s standards.

About The Author

Gabriela Silva
(478 Articles Published)

Gabriela Silva is a List writer for Screen Rant with experience in all things television, film and pop culture. A graduate of Fordham University with previous years experience interning for Cliché Magazine.

With her passion for movies, television and entertainment, she’s interviewed some great actors from Cress Williams of ‘Black Lightning’ to Tati Gabrielle from ‘Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.’

Her love for entertainment reaches a broad range of interests from 90s thriller movies, guilty pleasure teen dramas, action-packed MCU movies to popular K-dramas. You’ll most likely find her binge-watching a new television show or movies on Netflix into the early morning.

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