The expression goes back to the Roman Republic. Coined by former consul Lucius Cassius Longinus Ravilla, who 'gained fame for formulating the question "Cui bono?" ("Who benefits?") as a principle of criminal investigation.'

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cui_bono

So "Follow the Money" has a much earlier origin and wasn't just a catchy phrase from various TV drama series? Figures.