Famous Accountants | Counting Beans

In my day to day job I am a trainee chartered accountant. You might think it dull and boring but rest assured, there is a multitude of awesome and exciting facts about accounting and accountants that you didn’t know. Just look at these facts:

Famous Accountants:

John Grisham, author of A Time to Kill, The Firm and many other exciting novels, received his undergraduate degree in accounting from Mississippi State University.

Walter Diemer, was an accountant for the Fleer Corporation in the 1920′s. In his spare time, Diemer tinkered with gum recipes and created a chewy, rubbery substance better known as bubble gum.

Arthur Blank, co-founder of Home Depot and owner of the Atlanta Falcons, is a CPA

Funny man Bob Newhart started out in accounting.

Former Texas Rangers Manager and CPA Kevin Kennedy did his players’ tax returns to make extra money when he managed in the minor leagues.

Track sensation Marcus O’Sullivan passed the CPA exam.

Chairs of several Fortune 500 companies, including Nike (Phil Knight), are CPAs.

After graduating from school, J. P. Morgan got his first Wall Street job as a junior accountant. Five years later he founded his own company.

Jazz artist Kenny G. was an accountant before he became famous.

Ray Wersching, the ex-San Franscico 49er field goal kicker, was a CPA during the off-season.

Nearly 1,400 of the FBI’s special agents are accountants. In fact, the #2 man at the FBI, Thomas Pickard, is a CPA.

When Hernando Cortes landed in the New World, he brought horses, soldiers–and his accountant, Alonso de Avila. As a reward for excellent service, de Avila was made the first mayor of Veracuz, in what is now Mexico.

Butthole Surfers band member Gibby Haynes was a star accounting and economics student at Trinity University in San Antonio.

Did you know that cost accounting is mentioned in the Bible? Luke 14:28 says, “For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it?”

Ohio State University is home to the Accounting Hall of Fame which honors outstanding contributions to the profession.

Robert Duvall turned to his CPA for advice on whether to undertake the financial and personal pressures of producing, starring and funding his manuscript for the movie The Apostle.