Ill got, ill spent.

Money or property acquired through wrongdoing is thought likely to be wasted, lost, or used in harmful ways. The saying presents dishonest gain as unstable and ultimately unprofitable.

It also expresses a moral judgment that the way wealth is acquired affects what follows: unfairly won benefit brings neither secure prosperity nor an honorable outcome. This is a moral generalization, not a factual prediction about every case of improperly acquired wealth.

Use this proverb to criticize or warn against profit gained by deceit, theft, exploitation, or other improper conduct, especially when it is quickly squandered or leads to misfortune. It expresses a moral judgment rather than claiming that every improperly acquired gain will end this way.