Can't tell if a shit post or not, but I will bite.

In the past some mods could be quite scummy. Even if not racists (AvA...) a lot of them either were vendors, scamming vendors (IOracle) or were friends with vendors. Certain vendors would pay the mods to have their names put at the top of the VVL, despite being newbies (barfun/littlerover fiasco). Mods would sometimes shake down vendors for free IDs (I remember FYD being asked to send five copies of a new state so the kid's friends could get in on the deal).

Now, it is a fair point and one indeed made in the past that the mods work hard for no pay as such, and so maybe these are just small perks for them. However, as the sub evolved this corruption was tolerated less and less and the old mods left, replaced by new mods who weren't (or at least were far far more sneaky) corrupt.

Basically it was indeed true to an extent at one time that as a vendor you could jump to the top of the VVL/be verified much more quickly/less thoroughly if you coughed up some sweet bitcoin, and so although no longer true the cliche still exists.