By Ben “Zombie” Bedgood

(Quick recap, STAH stands for “Star Trek Alien Highlight.”)

Before Harry Potter and the goblins running Gringotts bank, there were the Ferengi: horrible little creatures obsessed with money.

The Ferengi are well known to many fans. Those who are not familiar with the show may find them a bit terrifying at first glimpse. They are humanoid creatures that are short in stature. They have obscenely large ear lobes, sharp pointed teeth, and hiss when threatened or angered. They are also obsessed with profits. For these reasons they are often referred to on the shows as trolls.

While they can be unpleasant back stabbing creatures they have an amazing work ethic and business mindset. On that note I wish I could have hired some when I was a retail store manager. Their culture is so focused on being capitalistic in nature that it has become an intergal part of everyday life. Everything from family gatherings to dating can involve bartering and contractual obligations. For this reason the Ferengi follow a rigorous set of guidelines and rules known as the Rules of Acquisition.

Ferengi culture is ruled over by The Grand Nagus of the Ferengi Alliance. This person is not only the ruler of the Ferengi people. They are the most wealthy and successful business person in the society. This would be the logical choice for someone in such a capitalistic society. For a person who sets the guidelines for how to practice business within the culture. Power is shifted from one Grand Nagus to the next at the end of their life. Most commonly by appointment of a successor and transference of wealth.

The Rules were first established by Grand Nagus Glint in 7500 B.C. The first set of Rules went up to 285 but only consisted of 162 rules. They were not written in numerical order. Many numbers were skipped over in that time, so that as new leaders rose to power they could fill in their own. In 2151 during a Starfleet encounter with a Ferengi by the name of Krem, he explained that there were now 172 total rules. It wasn’t until 2370 that all 285 rules had been filled out with a few additional unnumbered rules and extras added in.

15 – “Dead men close no deals.”
47 – “Never trust a man wearing a better suit than your own.”
76 – “Every once in a while, declare peace. It confuses the Hell out of your enemies.”
125 – “You can’t make a deal if you’re dead.”
193 – “Trouble comes in threes.”

(To see the whole list, click here)

I hope you enjoyed this article. Stay tuned for more Star Trek 50th Anniversary fun!