Final answer:
The banker in "The Bet" despises himself at the end for his extreme greed and the realization that he nearly committed murder to avoid financial ruin. His self-contempt stems from the awareness of his lost humanity and moral degradation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The banker in Anton Chekov's "The Bet" experiences self-contempt at the end of the story because he realizes the magnitude of his greed and is repulsed by his willingness to commit murder. Throughout the years, as the lawyer endures solitary confinement, the banker's fortune diminishes, leaving him with the threat of financial ruin if he has to pay the two million. The impending loss causes him to contemplate killing the lawyer to avoid payment. However, when the lawyer renounces the bet and the world voluntarily before the time is up, the banker is overcome with a deep sense of loss, not for money but for realizing he has lost so much of his humanity due to greed. He is left feeling despicable and remorseful for the person he has become, not because he has to pay, but because he was ready to sacrifice moral integrity for wealth.