>>I don't think Gryphon was actually rich in the other universe; he went
>>into Starfleet basically immediately after arriving and acclimating
>>and I'm not sure that they pay their officers well enough to afford
>>even a decommissioned Connie no matter how frugal they are. Maybe he
>>made some sound investments, tho. :)
>
>He wasn't, but for something like that, he'd have found the money
>someplace. There are a lot of couch cushions in the Beta Quadrant.

He probably would have pulled the standard dimension/time traveller bit of "as far as they know, I invented this."

Simply happening to know the solution to a problem can be worth a lot. e.g. If you land in a world where they still use serpentine gunpowder, you can make a big impression with the four words "try mixing it wet."