History Main / EveryManHasHisPrice

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[[quoteright:272:[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureStardustCrusaders https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/85db4b36472964db1c78cb78358ef769.png]]]]

->''"A man with 'principles' is just another way of saying 'he can't be bought cheap'."''
-->-- '''Chester Hoenicker''', ''Film/{{Flubber}}''

* In the AlternateHistory of ''Anime/CodeGeass'', Creator/BenjaminFranklin was bribed by the British Empire with titles of nobility. He then betrayed the American Revolutionary movement. With the information provided by him, the British army organized an ambush where UsefulNotes/GeorgeWashington was killed, thus bringing the American Revolution to a screeching halt.
* ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'':
** ''Manga/StardustCrusaders'': Used constantly by [[CoolOldGuy Joseph Joestar]]. Like in the example image of the trope, there are many times when Joseph solves problems by throwing money at them. [[spoiler:Including, but not limited to, buying a car to trade for camels, buying an airplane, bribes, a ''goddamn submarine'', and buying a car in the middle of a life or death fight to use as a getaway vehicle. Not to mention all the hospital visits.]]
** ''Manga/StoneOcean'': The [[TheAlcatraz Green Dolphin Street Prison]] has the inmates running on a hierarchy within prison walls, prisoners occasionally use money to bribe guards and get past other prisoners to use the phone, and would resort to extortion from other inmates who weren't able to pay back money they borrowed.
* Inverted by the [[JerkassGods God Hand]] in ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'', they believe that anyone can be brought to a [[DespairEventHorizon point so low]] that they would give up anything to escape it and are [[HumansAreFlawed usually right]].
* PlayedForLaughs in ''Literature/TheCaseFilesOfJewelerRichard'' with Richard's constant weakness to sweets.

* Zig-zagged and subverted for laughs in ''ComicBook/ThePowerpuffGirls'' story "Everything Must Go." Mojo Jojo is having a yard sale of all his weapons and robots. Ms. Keane is eyeing one of his robots but notices its rather steep price tag ($2 million). Mojo vehemently defends his pricing saying it was labor intensive and he's even selling it at a loss. Ms. Keane offers 75 cents for it. Mojo takes it.

[[folder:Fanfiction]]

* In ''Fanfic/HelluvaJob'', Blitzo tries to bring up professional integrity while denying St. Anger's use of the grimoire to get to Earth, but is shut up when Anger shows him a check worth a lot of money.

[[folder:Films -- Animated]]
* Invoked by Percival C. [=McLeach=] in ''WesternAnimation/TheRescuers''. Counts as a subversion, since he speaks of it but never actually does it.

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]

** In OHMSS, Bond turns down a million-pound dowry from Marc-Ange Draco to give up his carefree bachelor's life and marry his daughter Tracy, but he ''is'' willing to play along in exchange for the whereabouts of Ernst Stavro Blofeld. When Tracy forces her father to give Bond the information anyway, Bond keeps after Tracy, falling in love with her for real and refusing the dowry when Draco tries to quietly slip him the cheque at the wedding.

* The frequency and relative ease with which the protagonist in ''Les Invasions Barbares'' bribes the people around him to make his father's last weeks the best he can is both funny and rather depressing.

* The corporate executive in ''Film/SmallSoldiers'' solves all problems by throwing money at them. At the end of the film, he passes out cheques to everybody involved to get them to keep quiet about what happened. One of them protests that you can't just buy people's silence like that, then reads the amount of the cheque and decides that actually you can.

* ''Film/TheCountOfMonteCristo2002'' shows Monte Cristo's servant driving a wagon up to the manor of a Parisian. He tells the owner that he is there to purchase the man's huge ancestral estate, and is laughed at heartily--until the servant opens the back of the wagon, out of which pour coins, huge gems, and other treasure. Cut to the man driving off with the wagon, and the servant with deed in hand.

* In ''Film/TheDeathOfStalin'', a pianist refuses to replay a concerto so it can be recorded for Stalin, because [[ItsPersonal Stalin had her family murdered]]. Until...
--> '''Director''': Ten thousand roubles.\\
'''Pianist''': Twenty.
* ''Film/RunawayJury'' involves an ample amount of JuryAndWitnessTampering by the lawyers defending a firearm manufacturer in a negligence lawsuit, and they're frustrated over the interference in ''their'' machinations by one juror and his outside accomplice, who offers each side a guaranteed win for a $15 million payment. TheReveal is [[spoiler: that, despite accepting the defense's payment, the jury still voted against them - Nick never had control of the jury to begin with. He just wanted to counter the defense's interference in the measure, and ensure that the lawyer retired from practice due to the sleazy tactics he'd employed when his accomplice (actually his girlfriend)'s mother tried to sue another firearm manufacturer a few years earlier.]]
* ''Film/WouldYouRather'' revolves around this, as every person invited to the FancyDinner has some urgent need for the money the host is willing to provide - but the DeadlyGame can only have a single winner. The host even name-drops the trope at the start of the night, demonstrating by offering a vegetarian guest $10,000 to eat meat for the first time in years, and a recovered alcoholic turns down $10,000 for a glass of wine... but not $50,000 to down an entire decanter of Scotch.
* ''Film/LifeIsBeautiful'': PlayedForLaughs as Guido is about to close the restaurant for the night. The maitre'd says a government official has arrived and wants dinner. Guido insists the restaurant is closed until the maitre'd points out that Guido would get a big tip, at which Guido tells him the restaurant is open.
* ''Film/Posse1975'': Jack Strawhorn believes this and attempts to prove it by handing back the $30,000 the posse had raised to pay Nightingale's ransom and telling them to split it among themselves: $6,000 each. [[spoiler:He is ultimately proved correct as four of the five posse members abandon Nightingale and ride off with Strawhorn.]]
-->'''Jack Strawhorn:''' ''[to Howard Nightingale]'' Honest men stay honest only as long as it pays. That's why I'm a thief and you're a liar.

* ''The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook'': Has one chapter, "How to Pass a Bribe," where the entire outline seems to be written for a scenario revolving around the reader getting in trouble with a customs official while attempting to smuggle goods out of a third-world country.
* ''Literature/VorkosiganSaga'':
** Cordelia's assessment of Aral, in ''Shards Of Honour'', is that he cannot be bought at any price - but that there are things for which he will, to his personal shame, pay a heavy cost. That her therapist fails to see the distinction between the two positions is down to the fact that Cordelia is privy to one of Barrayar's most closely-guarded secrets, and can't properly explain. This does not assist her in proving that she's really in love with Aral, and not an unlikely double-agent snared by the unlikeliest of honey-traps. It ends up proving to her that there are heavy costs of her own that she is prepared to pay - like half-drowning said therapist in a fishtank and fleeing the planet of her birth to be with the man she loves.
** In ''Literature/CaptainVorpatrilsAlliance'', Tej's father questions her about what it would take to coopt Ivan into using his lineage to the Arqua family's benefit. Tej explains that Ivan has no ambition, thinks ambition dangerous, and that what he wants is comfort (which of course he already has too much to risk). The same is asked of Simon and Ivan is amazed at the idea that Simon could be purchasable. In fact, Simon was purchasable in a way; Simon didn't think the project would hurt Barrayar, was interested in getting an ally for Barryar's future covert-ops, had a personal interest in keeping the ObnoxiousInLaws from interfering in Ivan's new marriage, and he was [[ItAmusedMe just plain bored.]]
** ''Literature/{{Memory}}'' demonstrates that other bribes besides the normal money, sex, power, revenge, etc, are quite common by telling an [=ImpSec=] war story of how an agent was assigned to get an elephant because a foreign diplomat had asked for that as the price of his favor in negotiations. Simon says he could not tell whether or not it was a joke but an elephant was requested and an elephant was given. In the end, he decided the diplomat really ''did'' want the elephant, as he meticulously cared for it personally and took it home with him when he left.
---> '''Simon:''' It expanded my world view, ever after. Money, power, sex . . . and elephants.
* ''Literature/TheDogsOfWar'' by Creator/FrederickForsyth. [[CorruptCorporateExecutive British mining tycoon Sir James Manson]] ponders this trope, concluding "If they cannot be bought, they can be broken." Unfortunately for his plans, the mercenary he's hired to overthrow an African dictatorship for his own puppet ruler proves otherwise as he's SecretlyDying.
* The entire point of Terry Southern's satirical novel ''The Magic Christian'', as well as [[Film/TheMagicChristian its film adaptation.]]
* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'':
** Tyrion Lannister believes this, coming as he does from the richest family in Westeros. Unfortunately he makes an enemy of his own sister the Queen Regent who is able to outbid him in power and wealth.
** Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish is also ''mostly'' a believer in this, but despite being the poster boy of the series for the use of soft power and solving problems with money, Littlefinger actually acknowledges that some people have very different motivations and are too honorable to go for a bribe, whether it's in money, titles, or positions. He also knows how to be more subtle about it, most famously with Nestor Royce. Littlefinger later explains to Sansa that any attempt to bribe Nestor would have inflamed Nestor's very real sense of honor and pride. A little flattery, some appreciation, and dangling [[VicariouslyAmbitious the chance for a better life for Nestor's children]], saving them from becoming {{Impoverished Patrician}}s, on the other hand...
* In the ''Series/TheManFromUncle'' novelization ''The Dagger Affair,'' the AffablyEvil THRUSH leader Ward Baldwin that Waverly, Solo, and Kuryakin are temporarily allied with makes the point that not all prices are in money. For example, Waverley's price is furthering certain moral ideals and one that can never be met by THRUSH. He notes that even in THRUSH, money is the lowest price; the elite get paid in power. He goes on to say that men who ''truly'' have no price are inherently unpredictable and dangerous in the extreme--like the potential threat to all life on earth that they have allied to defeat.

* In ''Literature/TheCodexAlera'' this idea is acknowledged with regards to the Grey Tower, a reportedly impenetrable prison meant to hold powerful magic users. The men assigned there are some of the most reputable and hard-to-bribe men in the service. Add to that, anyone who tries, the guard can turn, report the attempted bribe, and be paid double it by the government. So, while every man has a price, the government just makes sure they are the highest bidder.
* A variation of this features in in the ''Series/DoctorWho'' spin-off Literature/PastDoctorAdventures novel ''Mission: Impractical'', when bounty hunters Sha'ol and Karthakh make it clear more than once that their honour prevents them accepting bribes from their targets to abandon their current contract. However, when Niccolo Mandell offers them double their current fee to not go after the Sixth Doctor until he's finished the job Mandell has asked him to help with, Karthakh accepts that "bribe" as they're essentially getting paid to do nothing since it's more practical for them to wait until the Doctor's finished his current job and has gone somewhere where it's easier for the assassins to get at him.
* Played for laughs in ''Literature/CharlieWilsonsWar'' when a Swiss ArmsDealer offers Gust Avrakotos a lucrative job at his company when he leaves the CIA. Gust bluntly tells him to stick it up his ass. Not put out in the slightest, the Swiss then asks if Gust likes blondes. "Well, [[EveryoneLovesBlondes that's different]]."
* ''Literature/EndersGame'': In ''Speaker for the Dead'', Ender needs to get out to a remote colony world to which no flights are scheduled for a few decades. So, he (through his AI Jane) simply buys a local freight ship and all its cargo for $90 billion. [[Fiction500 His wealth is such that he can do things like that without even noticing.]]
* In the ''Literature/HeraldsOfValdemar'' series, it's repeatedly noted that even the [[IncorruptiblePurePureness incorruptible Heralds]] can be bribed. It's just that [[EvilCannotComprehendGood the sort of person who would bribe a Herald wouldn't be the sort of person who could think of a bribe that would work]].
* Comes up from time to time in the ''Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption'' novella from ''Literature/DifferentSeasons''. In a prison setting, inmates can be convinced to do anything for the right (even meager) reward.
** The contraband smuggler Red is reluctant to try sneaking a rock hammer to Andy but agrees when promised ten dollars (eight for the hammer and two more as interest).
** When the rapist Bogs Diamond is found beaten half to death in his cell, Red reasons that it was probably Andy, his victim, who had enough hidden cash to bribe a guard for the key and a couple more guys for the beating.
** Tommy agrees to cover up evidence of Andy's innocence in exchange for being sent to a more comfortable prison. The [[Film/TheShawshankRedemption film adaptation]] instead has him trying to help Andy, [[spoiler: only to get shot for his trouble.]]
* This is the standard MO of Literature/TheCountOfMonteCristo. It almost fails when he struggles to persuade an unambitious and scrupulously honest telegraph operator to accept a bribe.
* In the Literature/NeroWolfe story ''Immune to Murder'', Wolfe says that everyone has their price, but his is well beyond anyone who might want to bribe him.
* AvertedTrope in ''Literature/TheBourneIdentity'' when Jason Bourne is caught by men Carlos has paid to kill him.
-->"Suppose I paid you. You were at the bank; you know I've got funds."\\
"Probably millions, but I wouldn't touch a franc note."\\
"Why? Are you afraid?"\\
"Most assuredly. Wealth is relative to the amount of time one has to enjoy it. I wouldn't have five minutes."
* ''Literature/CradleSeries'': Reigan Shen is the richest man in the world, so bribery is often his first option--though even he does have a budget, and he sometimes encounters people with a price too high for him. He is rather proud when he bribes Eithan Aurelius, a man who '''hates''' him, to [[spoiler:throw one of the most important tournaments in the world]]. We see this event from Eithan's point of view, and it comes off rather differently: He's pretty sure he was going to lose anyway, his allies will be able to carry on without him, and he'll be able to bleed Reigan for an absurd amount of money in the meantime. In fact, due to the gifts Reigan gives Eithan, [[spoiler:Eithan is able to foil one of Reigan's later assassination attempts against a rival faction. And Eithan was right; one of his personal disciples wins the tournament anyway]].

* ''Series/CopRock'': The mayor accepts a bribe in exchange for awarding a building contract. She even gets a song about her habit of taking bribes, “She’s The One”.
* ''Series/{{Cheers}}'':
** This was subverted by Diane in one episode, but she came ''very'' close to succumbing. When it was clear that an employer offering her a new job likely wanted sexual favors from her (he asked Sam, who was acting as a reference, whether he had seen her naked), she grabbed the phone and yelled at him:
--->'''Diane:''' You listen to me! I wouldn't take your job if you offered... ''[[BeatPanel (Beat)]]'' ''How'' much? ''[[BeatPanel (Beat again)]]'' Plus medical?? ''[[BeatPanel (Beat again)]], then grunts and hangs up in disgust.''
** In another early episode, this is combined with AnOfferYouCantRefuse. Norm's boss offered him the position of their company's "corporate killer". (The guy in charge of firing people, not exactly a much sought-after position.) He told Norm that there was a large raise involved, ''and'' that he'd be fired if he didn't accept it. Norm's stern response:
--->'''Norm:''' Sir, I cannot be threatened... And I cannot be bought... But... Put the two together and you've got a deal.

* ''Series/SquidGame'':
** The show has people in desperate situations lured into competing in a series of DeadlyGame[=s=] for a 45.6 billion Korean won cash prize. To drive this point home, a large piggy bank hanging over the players' dormitory fills with money when players are eliminated: the price for each player's life is 100 million won.
** After the first round, Sang-Woo brings up the rule in which the players are allowed to leave if the majority vote not to continue the game. However, he ultimately votes to allow the game to continue, and it is implied he changed his mind out of his desperation for the prize.
* ''Series/BurnNotice'':
** Michael explains that is possible to bribe even the most upstanding officials. To do so, convince them you think the bribe is a standard fee and make yourself [[{{Jerkass}} as thoroughly unlikeable as possible]] so that [[AssholeVictim they don't feel bad for ripping you off]] and making themselves a few bucks richer.
** In one memorable episode, Michael tries to bribe a foreign official, who responds by pulling a gun on Michael and ''immediately'' tries to have Michael arrested. After Michael gets away, they then have Fiona approach the official by pretending to be a CIA agent trying to catch Michael and offers to "cover expenses" if he plays along with their sting. Michael comments that convincing someone that they can make money by doing the right thing even works on the incorruptible.
* ''Series/MarriedWithChildren'': Mr. Shimokawa (Marcy's boss) collects American classic "junk" and wants to add Al's car to the collection. Marcy will gain her so-desired promotion if she persuades Al to sell it. (They can't get another car of that kind because half had been recalled and the other [[TheAllegedCar dissolved in rain]]) When Al finally agreed, Mr. Shimokawa commented he knew every man had his price. Al said every woman had it as well. Marcy had to make a sensual dance and Mr. Shimokawa offered the promotion because of how sexy she was. She then [[SubvertedTrope subverted the trope]] by beating her boss and calling it her resignation.
* ''Rhodes'' (1996). Cecil Rhodes discusses this trope with an idealistic underling. As with the ''Series/TheManFromUncle'' example, he also points out that not every price is in money; for instance the missionary groups he's working with to advance British colonialism are dedicated to the spread of Christianity.
* In ''Series/ServantOfThePeople'', the oligarchs are firm believers in this and do their best to corrupt the new government.
* ''Series/PersonOfInterest''. Harold Finch discovers a politician they are protecting is in the pocket of Decima Technologies, who want him to pass legislation favourable to them. Finch offers to match their price from his ArbitrarilyLargeBankAccount, but the politician refuses. He believes the legislation is the best thing for the country, and if he's making money on the side, well that's just a fringe benefit.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}'': 'Everything is for sale' is a CentralTheme of the setting. It's pointed out repeatedly in the game's lore that an upside to living in a capitalistic hell-scape where well over half of the population is living near or under the poverty line means almost ''everyone'' takes bribes, and a quick transfer of funds from a cred-stick can buy you anything from network access to forbidden technology to making the police 'lose you' shortly after arrest, provided the money you offer will offset whatever inconvenience you're about to cause.

* [[Wrestling/TedDiBiase Ted [=DiBiase=]]]'s character in ''Wrestling/{{WWE}}'' bribed quite a few people during his time as a wrestling {{Heel}}, to the point that it actually became his routine. His CatchPhrase, also the first line in his entrance theme, was "Everybody's got a price".

* ''Series/SquidGame'' has people in desperate situations lured into competing in a series of DeadlyGame[=s=] for a 45.6 billion Korean won cash prize. To drive this point home, a large piggy bank hanging over the players' dormitory fills with money when players are eliminated: the price for each player's life is 100 million won.

* ''Series/InterviewWithTheVampire2022'': In the seventh episode, Lestat de Lioncourt, Louis de Pointe du Lac and Claudia want to be in charge of the city's Mardi Gras ball. Normally, this would be impossible because the festivity is only a month away, and it's presided by the Committee of Raj, which has finalized its plans three years ago. However, the vampire family gains control of the MasqueradeBall after [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEt0GtpUsJI they bribe]] Tom Anderson and his fellow Raj members.

* In ''Film/{{SWAT}}'' a French drug lord is arrested in Los Angeles and announces on national TV that he is offering a 100 million dollar reward to anyone who can free him from police custody. Chaos erupts as multiple gangs and other lowlifes try to break him out. The titular SWAT team is tasked with delivering the prisoner to a federal prison and he offers them the money to help him escape. [[spoiler: One of the SWAT members finds the money to be too much of a temptation and betrays the team.]]

** There is a very well-done moment in the episode "In the Pale Moonlight" where Sisko has to bribe Quark to cover up the crimes of someone involved in a covert mission. Quark accepts, [[NotSoDifferentRemark smugly pointing out that this trope cuts both ways]]: Quark is openly willing to let criminals go free for money, but Sisko is willing to do the same if the cause is important enough. The only difference is where they set their price. Sisko looks [[YourApprovalFillsMeWithShame really uncomfortable]] through the entire scene.

** Conversely, there is an old Ferengi proverb that Quark quotes in the episode "Armageddon Game" when he (and everyone else) believes that O'Brien and Bashir are dead: "Good customers are as rare as latinum; cherish them."

* In the series finale of {{Series/Newhart}}, a Japanese businessman wants to buy the town and turn it into a country club. The residents refuse, until the businessman offers a million dollars for each home, at which point someone shouts "bring on the bulldozers!" Averted with the Loudons, who still refuse to sell (the businessman opts to build around them).

* ''Webcomic/VampireCheerleaders'': For Leonard, [[AManIsAlwaysEager it's sex.]] All Lori and her squad had to do to [[http://www.vampirecheerleaders.net/strips-vc/half-time_3 buy his silence]] about them being vampires, was [[CoitusEnsues spread 'em]] [[http://www.vampirecheerleaders.net/strips-vc/half-time_7 for him.]]

* Several ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' games, most notably ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'', make it possible for the party to bribe MONSTERS to make them leave you alone. ''FFX'' even lets you bribe a ''BonusBoss''. In particular, ''FFX'' makes bribery an extremely useful ability, as a number of enemies hand over useful items if successfully bribed (the aforementioned BonusBoss coughs up ''ninety-nine'' of an extremely rare and valuable crafting material).

* ''Series/CopRock'': the mayor accepts a bribe in exchange for awarding a building contract Cop Rock - You Know You're The One

-->'''Luke:''' I can't be bought.\\
'''Rosalie Carbone:''' You can't answer that truthfully yet, sweetheart. You don't know your price yet.

* ''Series/InterviewWithTheVampire2022'': In the seventh episode, Lestat de Lioncourt, Louis de Pointe du Lac and Claudia want to be in charge of the city's Mardi Gras ball. Normally, this would be impossible because the festivity is only a month away, and it's presided by the Committee of Raj, which has finalized its plans three years ago. However, the vampire family gains control of the MasqueradeBall after they bribe Tom Anderson and his fellow Raj members.

* ''Series/InterviewWithTheVampire2022'': In the seventh episode, Lestat de Lioncourt, Louis de Pointe du Lac and Claudia want to be in charge of the city's Mardi Gras ball. Normally, this would be impossible because the festivity is only a month away, and it's presided by the Committee of Raj, which has finalized its plans three years ago. However, the vampire family gain control of the MasqueradeBall after they bribe Tom Anderson and his fellow Raj members.

* Inverted by the [[JerkassGods God Hand]] in ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'', they believe that anyone can be brought to a [[DespairEventHorizon point so low]] that they would give up anything to escape it, and are [[HumansAreFlawed usually right]].
* Played for laughs in ''LightNovel/TheCaseFilesOfJewelerRichard'' with Richard's constant weakness to sweets.

* Used by Roger Waters in "Three Wishes", following RecordProducer Bob Ezrin's decision to return to producing the now Waters-less Music/PinkFloyd.
-->Each man has his price, Bob
-->And yours was pretty low.
** Waters (during the peak of his feud with his ex-bandmates) [[WordOfGod claimed]] the line was a lighthearted in-joke referencing Music/BobDylan and his singing style, sung similarly to Dylan, but he didn't mind if anyone took it as a jab at Ezrin.
** Ezrin was asked by Waters in 1986 to produce ''Radio KAOS'', but Bob refused to as Roger left Ezrin no time for his family. Ezrin later took the Floyd gig as David Gilmour catered more to Ezrin's needs. Roger felt very betrayed by the decision, especially as Waters was in litigation with Gilmour over the rights to the Pink Floyd brand name.

** During Joffrey's massacre of Robert Baratheon's bastards, one of the targets is a baby girl. The soldier who takes her from her mother looks down at her and [[EvenEvilHasStandards sheathes his blade]]. Janos Slynt snarls impatiently and [[WouldHurtAChild kills the baby]] in front of her hysterically pleading mother. After Tyrion removes Janos from power and sends him to the Wall, he asks Bronn if he would be willing to do the same.

** Early in the original ''Anime/YuGiOh'', Kaiba was known to use both bribery and blackmail to get what he wanted. (In the manga, he even admitted he got his three Blue-Eyes White Dragons cards this way.) Mokuba intended to do the same thing in the manga (he was far more evil in that version than he was in the anime, at least early on). Kaiba mellowed on this a little as the series progressed (he stopped using methods that were outright illegal, but he still tended to use his wealth to his advantage). Of course, as bad as Kaiba was, his adoptive father was ''much'' worse. To Gozuburo's thinking, money was the answer to everything, and there was nothing that couldn't be bought. (That was a big factor that led to Kaiba taking him down the first time, come to think of it.)