The point is that just like all the other computer and none-computer games, chess, monopoly, hit and run, football, risk and etc. the person with the most talent and the best game play style should be on the top, not the player who has more money in his account !!! The whole idea of game is divided in 2 parts, competition and fun !! you remove any of them and it's not a game. This game has a lot of fun in it, but it has ALMOST removed the competition.
It's like playing football, but because the opponent team has more money in the bank, they can have 200 team players instead of 11, including 50 goal keepers.
The more money shatters the balance between players, the more horrible it gets.
By the way the competition isn't about PvP, it's about the game being multiplayer, if there's no competition then it's not even a multiplaying game.
P.S: Although i see it as a big problem which is the most major issue of all lets say free browser games since 2006, Settlers is still a great game