The Futurama Character You Didn't Know Basically Owns Planet Express

Interesting news, everyone! Futurama left the airwaves years ago, but for those hungry enough to go looking for fresh facts it's still got a lot of interesting things hiding in its nooks and crannies to keep fans' brain slugs well-fed. 

If you've only seen the show once or twice you'd assume that Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth, Planet Express' doddering founder and owner, would be the company's primary stockholder and near-owner. But you'd be wrong! It's not the Professor, nor is it erstwhile delivery boy Philip J. Fry, or cheerful mechanic and college coed Amy Wong. It's not even Zoidberg, the company's delightfully incompetent doctor — though his share of stock did almost result in the whole company being sold out from beneath Professor Farnsworth in the classic season 3 episode "Future Stock." As it turns out, that very same episode also holds a clue as to the identity of the mysterious shareholder who basically owns Planet Express, and you might not even know it.

As Screen Rant recently recounted, the company's primary stock owner is in fact everyone's favorite adult magazine connoisseur, that washbucket-loving sometimes-zombie Scruffy the Janitor!

In "Future Stock" (which first aired on Fox March 31st, 2002), it's revealed that the often-silent Scruffy owns 40,000 shares of the company when he votes to place Fry's mysterious new friend, Steve Castle, in control of Planet Express during a shareholder's meeting. His fellow employees are shocked that he owns twice as much stock as they do, and when he's questioned as to why, Scruffy removes his signature cap, wipes away a tear and memorably says, "Scruffy believes in this company."

You may wonder why a guy with that much money sunk into what appears to be a pretty healthy company spends his days mopping floors. The sad fact is that Scruffy's not a wealthy guy — by the end of "Future Stock," Planet Express' holdings are left virtually worthless after a failed buyout by Momcorps' ruthless chief shareholder, Mom. So his still living in a janitorial closet at the PE building along with his forbidden love Washbucket still makes sense. Well, as much sense as his previous career, acting as a roadie for the Beastie Boys.