Grand Nagus

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Wallace Shawn as Grand Nagus Zek on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

In the TV show Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Grand Nagus is the title given to the political and economic leader of the fictional race known as the Ferengi. He presides from a chamber in the Tower of Commerce. This post was held by Grand Nagus Zek from at least as early as 2369 to late 2375, when he picked Deep Space Nine engineer Rom, to succeed him. The first Grand Nagus was named Gint, who founded Ferengi's modern capitalist society and created the Rules of Acquisition 10,000 years ago, as established in the fourth-season DS9 episodes “Bar Association” and “Body Parts.” Deep Space Nine bar owner Quark briefly held the title during the show's first season episode "The Nagus", after Grand Nagus Zek apparently died, but this was later revealed to be a ruse on Zek's part that he enacted to see how his son Crax would respond in his absence.

The Grand Nagus appoints The Grand Proxy to act as his representative in matters which he does not wish to deal with personally. The Grand Proxy was impersonated during the Voyager episode "False Profits" by Ambassador Neelix in order to convince two Ferengi to stop exploiting the people of a planet in the Delta Quadrant.

Each Nagus is chosen by his predecessor and upon gaining the title becomes the wealthiest Ferengi. When granted an audience, it is customary to kiss the Scepter of the Grand Nagus. A Nagus has enormous economic clout and his decisions keep the Ferengi economy functioning properly. A poorly performing Nagus can cause the entire planet of Ferenginar to shut down.

The writers of the series may have coined the word from the Amharic word for king, Negus, which was a title of the Ethiopian Emperor. ^{[citation needed]}