take the money and run

To accept or be satisfied with what one has earned, achieved, or accumulated in some activity, endeavor, or arrangement and refrain from trying to improve the terms. I knew it wasn't the best contract I could possibly get, but it would be easy enough to do, so I decided to take the money and run. A: "They want to buy out our company, but I'm not sure if I should give up control of this business I've built." B: "Hey, with the amount they're offering, you'd be able to set up a whole new company without any risks. I say take the money and run!"

take the money and run

Be satisfied with what you have achieved or won, and don’t try for more. This mid-twentieth-century saying was used as the title of Woody Allen’s hilarious 1968 film about a compulsive thief. The original allusion is lost, but other than referring to theft, it might well allude to one’s winnings at gambling.