With the upcoming release of Hogwarts Legacy in the holiday season of 2022, players will have the opportunity to experience money in the wizarding world and the ability to build fortunes for their characters. No other house in Hogwarts was more synonymous with personal wealth than that of Slytherin.
While many characters from Slytherin valued how many gold Galleons, silver Sickles, and bronze Knuts they had stuffed away in their vaults at Gringotts; not everyone from Slytherin viewed riches in the same way. Riches can also mean how much power a character had, how a character grew over the course of the series, or even the lasting legacy of a character on the franchise as a whole.
Salazar Slytherin
Salazar can be considered rich, as he was one of the founding members of Hogwarts. While there is no indication of his actual monetary wealth, he did construct the Chamber of Secrets in the bowels of the castle and had the chamber guarded by a basilisk. These qualities should be indicative that Salazar Slytherin did have some wealth.
Salazar's true richness though, was not inherently in whatever wealth he had, but in the problematic legacy he left behind. Salazar's richness can be seen in the foundation Voldermort and the Death Eaters built upon. Many of Voldermort's beliefs like the superiority of pure-blood lineage and the use of dark magic, can be derived directly from Salazar.
Vincent Crabbe & Gregory Goyle
Crabbe and Goyle can be considered rich by proxy. There was never any indication of their true wealth, but the pair never seemed without even the most basic necessities. Both were the sons of notorious Death Eaters and benefitted greatly from that association.
The troubled pair were most prominently known as the cronies of Draco Malfoy and rode his coattails for most of the franchise. Crabbe and Goyle benefitted from having a friend that was not only wealthy but in a position of power. The pair often escaped severe punishment for their transgressions and walked around the halls of Hogwarts with an air of untouchability.
Horace Slughorn
Slughorn's riches were not from being a Potions master, but from the favors and connections he could make to other high-profile characters. The infamous "Slug Club" was the perfect tool to accomplish this task. Slughorn also had a penchant for nicking items from the grounds of Hogwarts. Slughorn had no problem with cutting off the leaves of a venomous Tentacula plant or a sneaking off with a flask of venom from the dead Aragog if it meant putting a couple more Galleons into his pockets.
By the time Voldemort fell at the end of the Battle of Hogwarts though, the perception of Slughorn had changed drastically. By aiding Harry Potter in his quest to vanquish the Horcruxes, Slughorn was able to gain more wealth than stolen items could ever provide; the riches gained from redemption and respect. The old Potions master had transformed from a drabbed clothed thief into one of the nicest characters from Slytherin house.
Bellatrix Lestrange
Bellatrix was by all accounts, one of the richest witches from the Slytherin house. Despite her raggedy and hostile appearance, Bellatrix had a vast amount of riches from marrying into the wealthy pure-blood Lestrange family. She was also the benefactor of being one of Voldemort's most trusted supporters.
The sheer amount of tangible riches Bellatrix actually had was evident in the scene where Harry Potter and company attempted to retrieve the cup of Helga Hufflepuff from her vault. Not only was Bellatrix's vault heavily guarded, but the immense amount of gold and treasure Bellatrix had almost buried the heroes alive.
Draco Malfoy
The son of one of the wealthiest wizarding families, Draco was eagerly willing to flaunt his wealth to his fellow students at Hogwarts. Draco boasting about his acquisition of the Nimbus 2001 or the exquisite seats he had at the quidditch World Cup, were perfect examples of Draco flexing how wealthy he was.
At the end of the series, however, Draco had gained more than just monetary riches. Draco had survived the Battle of Hogwarts, in large part due to Harry Potter, and had gained more than a brand new broom or a clean set of robes could ever provide. Draco had survived the ensnaring influence of Voldemort.
Dolores Umbridge
While never getting an actual glimpse into the wealth of a witch in her position, there is enough evidence to suggest that Umbridge was compensated favorably for her atrocities. She was given the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher by Cornelius Fudge, the former Minister of Magic. After her unceremonious exit from Hogwarts, Umbridge was appointed a high-level position within the Ministry itself during the second rise of Voldemort.
Umbridge notoriously dressed in her beloved pink cardigans, had cat emblazoned saucers that decorated her offices, and even had the audacity to wear a certain valuable and cursed necklace. Like other high-profile Slytherin students, Umbridge's wealth was built upon the slow degradation of those she deemed lower than herself. Umbridge had a penchant for punishing misbehaving students and took pleasure in spreading demoralizing propaganda, in service of Voldemort.
Narcissa Malfoy
Although she had married into the wealthy Malfoy family, Narcissa was not prone to flaunting the riches she had at her disposal. The only true glimpse into her wealth came when Voldemort and his followers occupied the Malfoy home as a pseudo headquarters. Narcissa was appalled by the presence of so many Death Eaters and the fact that they chose her home as their base of operations, further suggested the appeal of wealth to Slytherins.
Narcissa, however, secretly went against the grain of Slytherin conventions and proved that her schemes revolved around the only thing of true value to her; the safety of her family. Narcissa made an Unbreakable Vow and even lied to Voldemort, all in an effort to ensure that safety. With the death of Voldemort at the conclusion of the Battle of Hogwarts, Narcissa was mercilessly granted the riches of a whole and intact family.
Lucius Malfoy
Lucius Malfoy was easily distinguishable as one of the richest characters from Slytherin. He carried himself with an air of superiority: wearing slick and clean robes while kicking house-elves down the stairs and belittling anyone else who he deemed below his station of vast riches.
Lucius exploited any opportunity to flex at what his wealth could get him in the wizarding world, like preferable treatment for Draco or even a personal audience with the Minister of Magic. Lucius, however, arrogantly believed in the importance of personal wealth. That arrogance almost cost him and his family their lives when they aligned with Voldemort.
Tom Riddle
Riddle was an orphan during his childhood but quickly amassed the riches of knowledge and magical power while attending Hogwarts. At the peak of his power, Riddle had also acquired some of the most valuable objects in wizarding history: the previously mentioned cup of Helga Hufflepuff, the sword of Godric Gryffindor, and the diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw.
Riddle was the most feared wizard since Grindelwald and had the entire wizarding world under a maniacal boney finger. Riddle, however, unwittingly believed that true richness was in abject power, and the vast amount of followers he had at his disposal only helped illustrate the value of that power to him. Voldemort also found wealth in the misguided belief that death would not find him, as evident by his construction of the various Horcruxes.
Severus Snape
Much like Riddle, Snape was born into poverty and heartbreak. Also like Riddle, Snape began to gain riches from knowledge and magical power while attending Hogwarts. However, that is where the similarities begin to diverge. Unlike Voldemort, Snape did not have the riches of a mass group of followers or the wealth sprung from the desire to cheat death. The only glimpse into Snape's personal wealth came during the Unbreakable Vow scene between him and Narcissa Malfoy; a glimpse of an average home with a lot of books.
Snape was one of the most misunderstood and controversial characters of the franchise, as a cloud of uncertainty about his true loyalties followed his every action. By the end of the Battle of Hogwarts, however, it became readily apparent that Snape's riches came from the love and devotion he gave to others. Snape found value in acting as a double agent for Dumbledore. He gained the wealth of respect from protecting Harry. And in the end, Snape gained personal richness in upholding his devotion to Lilly.