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| image = robert-kiyosaki.jpg
| image = robert-kiyosaki.jpg
| {{Quote
| {{Quote
| text = The word accounting comes from the word accountability. If you are going to be rich, you need to be accountable for your money. <ref>{{cite web |title=Accounts Payable Quotes: Advice, Sayings, and Accounting Knowledge from the Experts |url=https://www.netsuite.com/portal/resource/articles/accounting/accounts-payable-quotes.shtml |website=NetSuite |publisher=Oracle Corp. |date=2020-11-20 |author=Bridget McCrea |access-date=2025-12-26}}</ref>
| text = The word accounting comes from the word accountability. If you are going to be rich, you need to be accountable for your money. <ref>{{cite web |title=Accounts Payable Quotes: Advice, Sayings, and Accounting Knowledge from the Experts |url=https://www.netsuite.com/portal/resource/articles/accounting/accounts-payable-quotes.shtml |website=NetSuite |publisher=Oracle Corp. |date=2020-11-20 |author=Bridget McCrea |access-date=2025-12-26}}</ref>
| author = Robert Kiyosaki, author of ''Rich Dad Poor Dad'' {{Robert Kiyosaki/attribution}}
| author = Robert Kiyosaki, author of ''Rich Dad Poor Dad'' {{Robert Kiyosaki/attribution}}
}}
}}

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| image = samantha-wilson.jpg
| {{Quote
| text = Accounting is not just about compliance; it’s about upholding the ethical fabric of financial systems. <ref>no primary/credible source found (appears only on aggregator sites)</ref>
| author = Samantha Wilson {{Samantha Wilson/attribution}}
}}
}}
}}
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| image = elvis-presley.jpg
| image = elvis-presley.jpg
| {{Quote
| {{Quote
| text = I have no use for bodyguards, but I have very specific use for two highly trained certified public accountants. <ref>{{cite web |title=Elvis, Taxes, and the CPA Dilemma: Why Your Bodyguard Should Be an Accountant |url=https://www.jsmorlu.com/ceo-corner/elvis-tax-cpa/ |author=John S. Morlu II |date=2025-12-01 |website=JS Morlu Blog |access-date=2025-12-26}}</ref>
| text = I have no use for bodyguards, but I have very specific use for two highly trained certified public accountants. <ref>{{cite web |title=Elvis, Taxes, and the CPA Dilemma: Why Your Bodyguard Should Be an Accountant |url=https://www.jsmorlu.com/ceo-corner/elvis-tax-cpa/ |author=John S. Morlu II |date=2025-12-01 |website=JS Morlu Blog |access-date=2025-12-26}}</ref>
| author = Elvis Presley, American singer and actor {{Elvis Presley/attribution}}
| author = Elvis Presley, American singer and actor {{Elvis Presley/attribution}}
}}
}}
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| image = warren-buffett.jpg
| image = warren-buffett.jpg
| {{Quote
| {{Quote
| text = You have to understand accounting and you have to understand the nuances of accounting. It’s the language of business and it’s an imperfect language, but unless you are willing to put in the effort to learn accounting – how to read and interpret financial statements – you really shouldn’t select stocks yourself. <ref>{{cite book |last=Buffett |first=Mary |title=Warren Buffett and the Interpretation of Financial Statements: The Search for the Company with a Durable Competitive Advantage |publisher=Scribner |date=2008}}</ref>
| text = You have to understand accounting and you have to understand the nuances of accounting. It’s the language of business and it’s an imperfect language, but unless you are willing to put in the effort to learn accounting – how to read and interpret financial statements – you really shouldn’t select stocks yourself. <ref>{{cite book |last=Buffett |first=Mary |title=Warren Buffett and the Interpretation of Financial Statements: The Search for the Company with a Durable Competitive Advantage |publisher=Scribner |date=2008}}</ref>
| author = Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway {{Warren Buffett/attribution}}
| author = Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway {{Warren Buffett/attribution}}
}}
}}

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| image = richard-turner.jpg
| {{Quote
| text = Accounting excellence is not just a skill; it’s a mindset of financial mastery. <ref>...</ref>
| author = Richard Turner {{Richard Turner/attribution}}
}}
}}

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| image = christopher-miller.jpg
| {{Quote
| text = Accounting greatness is not just about what you calculate; it’s about the financial stories you unfold. <ref>...</ref>
| author = Christopher Miller {{Christopher Miller/attribution}}
}}
}}
}}
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| image = charles-scott.jpg
| image = charles-scott.jpg
| {{Quote
| {{Quote
| text = Creativity is great but not in accounting. <ref>...</ref>
| text = Creativity is great but not in accounting. <ref>{{cite web |title=Rule 34: Be a brown rat if you want to succeed |url=https://www.davidsonwp.com/blog/2016/03/rule-34-be-a-brown-rat-if-you-want-to-succeed |website=Davidson WP |publisher=Davidson WP |access-date=2025-12-31 |date=March 2016 |author=Andrew Davidson}}</ref>
| author = Charles Scott {{Charles Scott/attribution}}
| author = Charles Scott, American businessman and former CEO of Intermark and Fuqua Industries {{Charles Scott/attribution}}
}}
}}
}}
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| image = charles-lyell.jpg
| image = charles-lyell.jpg
| {{Quote
| {{Quote
| text = Never call an accountant a credit to his profession; a good accountant is a debit to his profession. <ref>{{cite web |title=Get to Know Conductor. We Think You’ll Like (and Trust) It. |url=https://harmonate.com/get-to-know-conductor-we-think-youll-like-and-trust-it/ |date=2021-04-23 |website=Harmonate Blog |access-date=2025-12-26}}</ref>
| text = Never call an accountant a credit to his profession; a good accountant is a debit to his profession. <ref>{{cite web |title=Get to Know Conductor. We Think You’ll Like (and Trust) It. |url=https://harmonate.com/get-to-know-conductor-we-think-youll-like-and-trust-it/ |date=2021-04-23 |website=Harmonate Blog |access-date=2025-12-26}}</ref>
| author = Charles Lyell, Scottish geologist {{Charles Lyell/attribution}}
| author = Charles Lyell, Scottish geologist {{Charles Lyell/attribution}}
}}
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| image = bethany-mclean.jpg
| image = bethany-mclean.jpg
| {{Quote
| {{Quote
| text = Capital isn’t this pile of money sitting somewhere; it’s an accounting construct. <ref>{{cite news |title=Why Warren Buffett Is Hiding $61 Billion in Plain Sight |url=https://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/07/20/according-to-warren-buffett-accounting-numbers-are.aspx |work=The Motley Fool |date=2014-07-20 |author=John Maxfield |access-date=2025-12-26}}</ref>
| text = Capital isn’t this pile of money sitting somewhere; it’s an accounting construct. <ref>{{cite news |title=Why Warren Buffett Is Hiding $61 Billion in Plain Sight |url=https://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/07/20/according-to-warren-buffett-accounting-numbers-are.aspx |work=The Motley Fool |date=2014-07-20 |author=John Maxfield |access-date=2025-12-26}}</ref>
| author = Bethany McLean, American journalist {{Bethany McLean/attribution}}
| author = Bethany McLean, American journalist {{Bethany McLean/attribution}}
}}
}}
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| image = charlie-munger.jpg
| image = charlie-munger.jpg
| {{Quote
| {{Quote
| text = Proper accounting is like engineering. You need a margin of safety. Thank God we don’t design bridges and airplanes the way we do accounting. <ref>{{cite web |title=Charlie Munger's Quotes On Academia, Accounting And More |url=https://hedgefundalpha.com/education/charlie-mungers-quotes-on-academia-accounting-and-more/ |author=HFA Staff |date=2015-06-07 |website=Hedge Fund Alpha |access-date=2025-12-26}}</ref>
| text = Proper accounting is like engineering. You need a margin of safety. Thank God we don’t design bridges and airplanes the way we do accounting. <ref>{{cite web |title=Charlie Munger's Quotes On Academia, Accounting And More |url=https://hedgefundalpha.com/education/charlie-mungers-quotes-on-academia-accounting-and-more/ |author=HFA Staff |date=2015-06-07 |website=Hedge Fund Alpha |access-date=2025-12-26}}</ref>
| author = Charlie Munger, vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway {{Charlie Munger/attribution}}
| author = Charlie Munger, vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway {{Charlie Munger/attribution}}
}}
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| image = gail-godwin.jpg
| image = gail-godwin.jpg
| {{Quote
| {{Quote
| text = Life is like accounting, everything must be balanced. <ref>no primary source; widely attributed to Gail Godwin on quotes sites</ref>
| text = Life is like accounting, everything must be balanced. <ref>no primary source; widely attributed to Gail Godwin on quotes sites</ref>
| author = Gail Godwin {{Gail Godwin/attribution}}
| author = Gail Godwin {{Gail Godwin/attribution}}
}}
}}
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| image = charlie-munger.jpg
| image = charlie-munger.jpg
| {{Quote
| {{Quote
| text = “You have to know accounting. It’s the language of practical business life. It was a very useful thing to deliver to civilization. I’ve heard it came to civilization through Venice which of course was once the great commercial power in the Mediterranean. However, double entry bookkeeping was a hell of an invention.” <ref>{{cite web |title=The Investments Blog: Munger on Accounting |url=http://theinvestmentsblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/munger-on-accounting.html |author=Adam |date=2009-07-24 |website=Blogger |access-date=2025-12-26}}</ref>
| text = “You have to know accounting. It’s the language of practical business life. It was a very useful thing to deliver to civilization. I’ve heard it came to civilization through Venice which of course was once the great commercial power in the Mediterranean. However, double entry bookkeeping was a hell of an invention.” <ref>{{cite web |title=The Investments Blog: Munger on Accounting |url=http://theinvestmentsblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/munger-on-accounting.html |author=Adam |date=2009-07-24 |website=Blogger |access-date=2025-12-26}}</ref>
| author = Charlie Munger, vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway {{Charlie Munger/attribution}}
| author = Charlie Munger, vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway {{Charlie Munger/attribution}}
}}
}}
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| image = charlie-munger.jpg
| image = charlie-munger.jpg
| {{Quote
| {{Quote
| text = “Creative accounting is an absolute curse to a civilization. One could argue that double-entry bookkeeping was one of history’s great advances. Using accounting for fraud and folly is a disgrace. In a democracy, it often takes a scandal to trigger reform. Enron was the most obvious example of a business culture gone wrong in a long, long time.” <ref>{{cite web |title=68 Inspirational Quotes on Accounting |url=https://graciousquotes.com/accounting/ |access-date=2025-12-26}}</ref>
| text = “Creative accounting is an absolute curse to a civilization. One could argue that double-entry bookkeeping was one of history’s great advances. Using accounting for fraud and folly is a disgrace. In a democracy, it often takes a scandal to trigger reform. Enron was the most obvious example of a business culture gone wrong in a long, long time.” <ref>{{cite web |title=68 Inspirational Quotes on Accounting |url=https://graciousquotes.com/accounting/ |access-date=2025-12-26}}</ref>
| author = Charlie Munger, vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway {{Charlie Munger/attribution}}
| author = Charlie Munger, vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway {{Charlie Munger/attribution}}
}}
}}
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| image = warren-buffett.jpg
| image = warren-buffett.jpg
| {{Quote
| {{Quote
| text = Managers and investors alike must understand that accounting numbers are the beginning, not the end, of business valuation. <ref>{{cite news |title=Why Warren Buffett Is Hiding $61 Billion in Plain Sight |url=https://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/07/20/according-to-warren-buffett-accounting-numbers-are.aspx |work=The Motley Fool |date=2014-07-20 |author=John Maxfield |access-date=2025-12-26}}</ref>
| text = Managers and investors alike must understand that accounting numbers are the beginning, not the end, of business valuation. <ref>{{cite news |title=Why Warren Buffett Is Hiding $61 Billion in Plain Sight |url=https://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/07/20/according-to-warren-buffett-accounting-numbers-are.aspx |work=The Motley Fool |date=2014-07-20 |author=John Maxfield |access-date=2025-12-26}}</ref>
| author = Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway {{Warren Buffett/attribution}}
| author = Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway {{Warren Buffett/attribution}}
}}
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| image = warren-buffett.jpg
| image = warren-buffett.jpg
| {{Quote
| {{Quote
| text = Managers thinking about accounting issues should never forget one of Abraham Lincoln's favorite riddles: How many legs does a dog have, if you call a tail a leg? The answer: Four, because calling a tail a leg doesn’t make it a leg. <ref>{{cite web |title=Warren Buffett Says This 1 Simple Habit Is the Key to Success. Here Are 19 Times He Did It in Public |url=https://www.inc.com/bill-murphy-jr/warren-buffett-says-this-1-simple-habit-is-key-to-success-here-are-19-times-he-did-it-in-public.html |author=Bill Murphy Jr. |date=2020-02-14 |website=Inc. |access-date=2025-12-26}}</ref>
| text = Managers thinking about accounting issues should never forget one of Abraham Lincoln's favorite riddles: How many legs does a dog have, if you call a tail a leg? The answer: Four, because calling a tail a leg doesn’t make it a leg. <ref>{{cite web |title=Warren Buffett Says This 1 Simple Habit Is the Key to Success. Here Are 19 Times He Did It in Public |url=https://www.inc.com/bill-murphy-jr/warren-buffett-says-this-1-simple-habit-is-key-to-success-here-are-19-times-he-did-it-in-public.html |author=Bill Murphy Jr. |date=2020-02-14 |website=Inc. |access-date=2025-12-26}}</ref>
| author = Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway {{Warren Buffett/attribution}}
| author = Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway {{Warren Buffett/attribution}}
}}
}}
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| image = peter-krueger.jpg
| image = peter-krueger.jpg
| {{Quote
| {{Quote
| text = Companies run by engineers don’t make money, but companies run by accountants don’t make anything at all. <ref>{{cite web |title=Accounts Payable Quotes: Advice, Sayings, and Accounting Knowledge from the Experts |url=https://www.netsuite.com/portal/resource/articles/accounting/accounts-payable-quotes.shtml |website=NetSuite |publisher=Oracle Corp. |date=2020-11-20 |author=Bridget McCrea |access-date=2025-12-26}}</ref>
| text = Companies run by engineers don’t make money, but companies run by accountants don’t make anything at all. <ref>{{cite web |title=Accounts Payable Quotes: Advice, Sayings, and Accounting Knowledge from the Experts |url=https://www.netsuite.com/portal/resource/articles/accounting/accounts-payable-quotes.shtml |website=NetSuite |publisher=Oracle Corp. |date=2020-11-20 |author=Bridget McCrea |access-date=2025-12-26}}</ref>
| author = Peter Krueger {{Peter Krueger/attribution}}
| author = Peter Krueger {{Peter Krueger/attribution}}
}}
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| image = warren-buffett.jpg
| image = warren-buffett.jpg
| {{Quote
| {{Quote
| text = The reaction of weak management to weak operations is often weak accounting. <ref>{{cite web |title=68 Inspirational Quotes on Accounting |url=https://graciousquotes.com/accounting/ |access-date=2025-12-26}}</ref>
| text = The reaction of weak management to weak operations is often weak accounting. <ref>{{cite web |title=68 Inspirational Quotes on Accounting |url=https://graciousquotes.com/accounting/ |access-date=2025-12-26}}</ref>
| author = Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway {{Warren Buffett/attribution}}
| author = Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway {{Warren Buffett/attribution}}
}}
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| image = diane-garnick.jpg
| image = diane-garnick.jpg
| {{Quote
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| text = Accounting does not make corporate earnings or balance sheets more volatile. Accounting just increases the transparency of volatility in earnings. <ref>{{cite web |title=Mark-to-Market Quotes |url=https://www.calculatedriskblog.com/2008/09/mark-to-market-quotes.html |website=Calculated Risk |date=2008-09-30 |access-date=2025-12-26}}</ref>
| text = Accounting does not make corporate earnings or balance sheets more volatile. Accounting just increases the transparency of volatility in earnings. <ref>{{cite web |title=Mark-to-Market Quotes |url=https://www.calculatedriskblog.com/2008/09/mark-to-market-quotes.html |website=Calculated Risk |date=2008-09-30 |access-date=2025-12-26}}</ref>
| author = Diane Garnick, Chief Income Strategist at TIAA {{Diane Garnick/attribution}}
| author = Diane Garnick, Chief Income Strategist at TIAA {{Diane Garnick/attribution}}
}}
}}
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| image = warren-buffett.jpg
| image = warren-buffett.jpg
| {{Quote
| {{Quote
| text = To be successful, you should concentrate on the world of companies, not arcane accounting mathematics. <ref>{{cite web |title=The world’s best investors offer a secret on how to outperform the market in the long-run |url=https://www.valens-research.com/investor-essentials-daily/upld-upland-software-worlds-best-investors-offer-secret-outperform-market-long-run/ |website=Valens Research |date=2021-10-26 |access-date=2025-12-26}}</ref>
| text = To be successful, you should concentrate on the world of companies, not arcane accounting mathematics. <ref>{{cite web |title=The world’s best investors offer a secret on how to outperform the market in the long-run |url=https://www.valens-research.com/investor-essentials-daily/upld-upland-software-worlds-best-investors-offer-secret-outperform-market-long-run/ |website=Valens Research |date=2021-10-26 |access-date=2025-12-26}}</ref>
| author = Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway {{Warren Buffett/attribution}}
| author = Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway {{Warren Buffett/attribution}}
}}
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| image = warren-buffett.jpg
| image = warren-buffett.jpg
| {{Quote
| {{Quote
| text = In the long run, management stressing accounting appearance over economic substance usually achieves little of either. <ref>{{cite web |title=68 Inspirational Quotes on Accounting |url=https://graciousquotes.com/accounting/ |access-date=2025-12-26}}</ref>
| text = In the long run, management stressing accounting appearance over economic substance usually achieves little of either. <ref>{{cite web |title=68 Inspirational Quotes on Accounting |url=https://graciousquotes.com/accounting/ |access-date=2025-12-26}}</ref>
| author = Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway {{Warren Buffett/attribution}}
| author = Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway {{Warren Buffett/attribution}}
}}
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| image = mary-archer.jpg
| image = mary-archer.jpg
| {{Quote
| {{Quote
| text = It sounds extraordinary, but it’s a fact that balance sheets can make fascinating reading. <ref>{{cite web |title=10 Funny and Inspirational Quotes for Accountants |url=https://www.btpartners.com/technology-blogs/10-funny-and-inspirational-quotes-for-accountants |website=BT Partners |date=2020-05-05 |access-date=2025-12-26}}</ref>
| text = It sounds extraordinary, but it’s a fact that balance sheets can make fascinating reading. <ref>{{cite web |title=10 Funny and Inspirational Quotes for Accountants |url=https://www.btpartners.com/technology-blogs/10-funny-and-inspirational-quotes-for-accountants |website=BT Partners |date=2020-05-05 |access-date=2025-12-26}}</ref>
| author = Mary Archer, British scientist {{Mary Archer/attribution}}
| author = Mary Archer, British scientist {{Mary Archer/attribution}}
}}
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| image = cormac-mccarthy.jpg
| image = cormac-mccarthy.jpg
| {{Quote
| {{Quote
| text = People don’t pay attention. And then one day there’s an accounting. And after that, nothing is the same.<ref>{{cite book |last=McCarthy |first=Cormac |title=No Country for Old Men |publisher=Alfred A. Knopf |date=2005}}</ref>
| text = People don’t pay attention. And then one day there’s an accounting. And after that, nothing is the same.<ref>{{cite book |last=McCarthy |first=Cormac |title=No Country for Old Men |publisher=Alfred A. Knopf |date=2005}}</ref>
| author = Cormac McCarthy, American novelist {{Cormac McCarthy/attribution}}
| author = Cormac McCarthy, American novelist {{Cormac McCarthy/attribution}}
}}
}}
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| image = alan-greenspan.jpg
| image = alan-greenspan.jpg
| {{Quote
| {{Quote
| text = It has been my experience that competency in mathematics, both in numerical manipulation and in understanding its conceptual foundations, enhances a person’s ability to handle the more ambiguous and qualitative relationships that dominate our day-to-day financial decision-making.<ref>{{cite web |title=Financial education |url=https://www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/speeches/2003/20030403/default.htm |website=Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System |publisher=Federal Reserve |date=2003-04-03 |author=Alan Greenspan |access-date=2025-12-26}}</ref>
| text = It has been my experience that competency in mathematics, both in numerical manipulation and in understanding its conceptual foundations, enhances a person’s ability to handle the more ambiguous and qualitative relationships that dominate our day-to-day financial decision-making.<ref>{{cite web |title=Financial education |url=https://www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/speeches/2003/20030403/default.htm |website=Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System |publisher=Federal Reserve |date=2003-04-03 |author=Alan Greenspan |access-date=2025-12-26}}</ref>
| author = Alan Greenspan, former Chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve {{Alan Greenspan/attribution}}
| author = Alan Greenspan, former Chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve {{Alan Greenspan/attribution}}
}}
}}
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| image = eric-ries.jpg
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| text = People are accustomed to thinking of accounting as dry and boring, a necessary evil used primarily to prepare financial reports and survive audits, but that is because accounting is something that has become taken for granted.<ref>{{cite book |last=Ries |first=Eric |title=The Startup Way |publisher=Crown |date=2017}}</ref>
| text = People are accustomed to thinking of accounting as dry and boring, a necessary evil used primarily to prepare financial reports and survive audits, but that is because accounting is something that has become taken for granted.<ref>{{cite book |last=Ries |first=Eric |title=The Startup Way |publisher=Crown |date=2017}}</ref>
| author = Eric Ries, Author {{Eric Ries/attribution}}
| author = Eric Ries, Author {{Eric Ries/attribution}}
}}
}}
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| text = The accountant is the unsung hero of today’s business. But how do you remember them? They count the beans and crunch the numbers. <ref>no primary source; common saying in industry</ref>
| author = Mary E. Jones {{Mary E. Jones/attribution}}
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| text = I thought I could start over, you see. But now I know you can never start over. Not really. You think you have control, but you are like a fly in somebody else's web. Sometimes I think that's why I like accounting. All day, you are only dealing with numbers. You add them, multiply them, and if you are careful, you will always have a solution. There's a sequence there. An order. With numbers, you can have control. <ref>{{cite book |last=Obama |first=Barack |title=Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance |publisher=Times Books |date=1995}}</ref>
| text = I thought I could start over, you see. But now I know you can never start over. Not really. You think you have control, but you are like a fly in somebody else's web. Sometimes I think that's why I like accounting. All day, you are only dealing with numbers. You add them, multiply them, and if you are careful, you will always have a solution. There's a sequence there. An order. With numbers, you can have control. <ref>{{cite book |last=Obama |first=Barack |title=Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance |publisher=Times Books |date=1995}}</ref>
| author = Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States {{Barack Obama/attribution}}
| author = Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States {{Barack Obama/attribution}}
}}
}}
}}
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| image = warren-buffett.jpg
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| text = Managers thinking about accounting issues should never forget one of Abraham Lincoln's favorite riddles: How many legs does a dog have, if you call a tail a leg? The answer: Four, because calling a tail a leg doesn't make it a leg. <ref>{{cite web |title=Warren Buffett Says This 1 Simple Habit Is the Key to Success. Here Are 19 Times He Did It in Public |url=https://www.inc.com/bill-murphy-jr/warren-buffett-says-this-1-simple-habit-is-key-to-success-here-are-19-times-he-did-it-in-public.html |author=Bill Murphy Jr. |date=2020-02-14 |website=Inc. |access-date=2025-12-26}}</ref>
| text = Managers thinking about accounting issues should never forget one of Abraham Lincoln's favorite riddles: How many legs does a dog have, if you call a tail a leg? The answer: Four, because calling a tail a leg doesn't make it a leg. <ref>{{cite web |title=Warren Buffett Says This 1 Simple Habit Is the Key to Success. Here Are 19 Times He Did It in Public |url=https://www.inc.com/bill-murphy-jr/warren-buffett-says-this-1-simple-habit-is-key-to-success-here-are-19-times-he-did-it-in-public.html |author=Bill Murphy Jr. |date=2020-02-14 |website=Inc. |access-date=2025-12-26}}</ref>
| author = Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway {{Warren Buffett/attribution}}
| author = Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway {{Warren Buffett/attribution}}
}}
}}
}}
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| {{Quote
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| text = I would argue that a majority of the horrors we face would not have happened if the accounting profession developed and enforced better accounting. <ref>{{cite news |title=Munger on the 'Asininities' of Today's Regulators and Business Leaders |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2009/05/munger-on-the-asininities-of-todays-regulators-and-business-leaders/17894/ |work=The Atlantic |date=2009-05-20 |author=J.J. Gould |access-date=2025-12-26}}</ref>
| text = I would argue that a majority of the horrors we face would not have happened if the accounting profession developed and enforced better accounting. <ref>{{cite news |title=Munger on the 'Asininities' of Today's Regulators and Business Leaders |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2009/05/munger-on-the-asininities-of-todays-regulators-and-business-leaders/17894/ |work=The Atlantic |date=2009-05-20 |author=J.J. Gould |access-date=2025-12-26}}</ref>
| author = Charlie Munger, vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway {{Charlie Munger/attribution}}
| author = Charlie Munger, vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway {{Charlie Munger/attribution}}
}}
}}

Revision as of 01:04, 31 December 2025

The word accounting comes from the word accountability. If you are going to be rich, you need to be accountable for your money. [1]

— Robert Kiyosaki, author of Rich Dad Poor Dad Robert Kiyosaki, American businessman and author of Rich Dad Poor Dad

I have no use for bodyguards, but I have very specific use for two highly trained certified public accountants. [2]

— Elvis Presley, American singer and actor Elvis Presley, American singer and actor

You have to understand accounting and you have to understand the nuances of accounting. It’s the language of business and it’s an imperfect language, but unless you are willing to put in the effort to learn accounting – how to read and interpret financial statements – you really shouldn’t select stocks yourself. [3]

— Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Warren Buffett, American investor and chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway

Creativity is great but not in accounting. [4]

— Charles Scott, American businessman and former CEO of Intermark and Fuqua Industries Charles Scott, business executive and former CEO of Intermark

Never call an accountant a credit to his profession; a good accountant is a debit to his profession. [5]

— Charles Lyell, Scottish geologist Charles Lyell, Scottish geologist

Capital isn’t this pile of money sitting somewhere; it’s an accounting construct. [6]

— Bethany McLean, American journalist Bethany McLean, American journalist and author

Proper accounting is like engineering. You need a margin of safety. Thank God we don’t design bridges and airplanes the way we do accounting. [7]

— Charlie Munger, vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Charlie Munger, American investor and former vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway

Life is like accounting, everything must be balanced. [8]

— Gail Godwin Gail Godwin, American novelist

“You have to know accounting. It’s the language of practical business life. It was a very useful thing to deliver to civilization. I’ve heard it came to civilization through Venice which of course was once the great commercial power in the Mediterranean. However, double entry bookkeeping was a hell of an invention.” [9]

— Charlie Munger, vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Charlie Munger, American investor and former vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway

“Creative accounting is an absolute curse to a civilization. One could argue that double-entry bookkeeping was one of history’s great advances. Using accounting for fraud and folly is a disgrace. In a democracy, it often takes a scandal to trigger reform. Enron was the most obvious example of a business culture gone wrong in a long, long time.” [10]

— Charlie Munger, vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Charlie Munger, American investor and former vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway

Managers and investors alike must understand that accounting numbers are the beginning, not the end, of business valuation. [11]

— Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Warren Buffett, American investor and chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway

Managers thinking about accounting issues should never forget one of Abraham Lincoln's favorite riddles: How many legs does a dog have, if you call a tail a leg? The answer: Four, because calling a tail a leg doesn’t make it a leg. [12]

— Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Warren Buffett, American investor and chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway

Companies run by engineers don’t make money, but companies run by accountants don’t make anything at all. [13]

— Peter Krueger Peter Krueger, Business executive and management commentator.

The reaction of weak management to weak operations is often weak accounting. [14]

— Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Warren Buffett, American investor and chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway

Accounting does not make corporate earnings or balance sheets more volatile. Accounting just increases the transparency of volatility in earnings. [15]

— Diane Garnick, Chief Income Strategist at TIAA Diane Garnick, investment strategist at Invesco

To be successful, you should concentrate on the world of companies, not arcane accounting mathematics. [16]

— Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Warren Buffett, American investor and chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway

In the long run, management stressing accounting appearance over economic substance usually achieves little of either. [17]

— Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Warren Buffett, American investor and chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway

File:Mary-archer.jpg

It sounds extraordinary, but it’s a fact that balance sheets can make fascinating reading. [18]

— Mary Archer, British scientist Mary Archer, British scientist and academic

File:Cormac-mccarthy.jpg

People don’t pay attention. And then one day there’s an accounting. And after that, nothing is the same.[19]

— Cormac McCarthy, American novelist Template:Cormac McCarthy/attribution

It has been my experience that competency in mathematics, both in numerical manipulation and in understanding its conceptual foundations, enhances a person’s ability to handle the more ambiguous and qualitative relationships that dominate our day-to-day financial decision-making.[20]

— Alan Greenspan, former Chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve Alan Greenspan, former chair of the U.S. Federal Reserve

~*~

People are accustomed to thinking of accounting as dry and boring, a necessary evil used primarily to prepare financial reports and survive audits, but that is because accounting is something that has become taken for granted.[21]

— Eric Ries, Author Eric Ries, American entrepreneur and author of The Lean Startup

~*~

I thought I could start over, you see. But now I know you can never start over. Not really. You think you have control, but you are like a fly in somebody else's web. Sometimes I think that's why I like accounting. All day, you are only dealing with numbers. You add them, multiply them, and if you are careful, you will always have a solution. There's a sequence there. An order. With numbers, you can have control. [22]

— Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States Barack Obama, 44th U.S. president

~*~

Managers thinking about accounting issues should never forget one of Abraham Lincoln's favorite riddles: How many legs does a dog have, if you call a tail a leg? The answer: Four, because calling a tail a leg doesn't make it a leg. [23]

— Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Warren Buffett, American investor and chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway

~*~

I would argue that a majority of the horrors we face would not have happened if the accounting profession developed and enforced better accounting. [24]

— Charlie Munger, vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Charlie Munger, American investor and former vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway

  1. ↑ Bridget McCrea (2020-11-20). "Accounts Payable Quotes: Advice, Sayings, and Accounting Knowledge from the Experts". NetSuite. Oracle Corp. Retrieved 2025-12-26.
  2. ↑ John S. Morlu II (2025-12-01). "Elvis, Taxes, and the CPA Dilemma: Why Your Bodyguard Should Be an Accountant". JS Morlu Blog. Retrieved 2025-12-26.
  3. ↑ Buffett, Mary (2008). Warren Buffett and the Interpretation of Financial Statements: The Search for the Company with a Durable Competitive Advantage. Scribner.
  4. ↑ Andrew Davidson (March 2016). "Rule 34: Be a brown rat if you want to succeed". Davidson WP. Davidson WP. Retrieved 2025-12-31.
  5. ↑ "Get to Know Conductor. We Think You'll Like (and Trust) It". Harmonate Blog. 2021-04-23. Retrieved 2025-12-26.
  6. ↑ John Maxfield (2014-07-20). "Why Warren Buffett Is Hiding $61 Billion in Plain Sight". The Motley Fool. Retrieved 2025-12-26.
  7. ↑ HFA Staff (2015-06-07). "Charlie Munger's Quotes On Academia, Accounting And More". Hedge Fund Alpha. Retrieved 2025-12-26.
  8. ↑ no primary source; widely attributed to Gail Godwin on quotes sites
  9. ↑ Adam (2009-07-24). "The Investments Blog: Munger on Accounting". Blogger. Retrieved 2025-12-26.
  10. ↑ "68 Inspirational Quotes on Accounting". Retrieved 2025-12-26.
  11. ↑ John Maxfield (2014-07-20). "Why Warren Buffett Is Hiding $61 Billion in Plain Sight". The Motley Fool. Retrieved 2025-12-26.
  12. ↑ Bill Murphy Jr. (2020-02-14). "Warren Buffett Says This 1 Simple Habit Is the Key to Success. Here Are 19 Times He Did It in Public". Inc. Retrieved 2025-12-26.
  13. ↑ Bridget McCrea (2020-11-20). "Accounts Payable Quotes: Advice, Sayings, and Accounting Knowledge from the Experts". NetSuite. Oracle Corp. Retrieved 2025-12-26.
  14. ↑ "68 Inspirational Quotes on Accounting". Retrieved 2025-12-26.
  15. ↑ "Mark-to-Market Quotes". Calculated Risk. 2008-09-30. Retrieved 2025-12-26.
  16. ↑ "The world's best investors offer a secret on how to outperform the market in the long-run". Valens Research. 2021-10-26. Retrieved 2025-12-26.
  17. ↑ "68 Inspirational Quotes on Accounting". Retrieved 2025-12-26.
  18. ↑ "10 Funny and Inspirational Quotes for Accountants". BT Partners. 2020-05-05. Retrieved 2025-12-26.
  19. ↑ McCarthy, Cormac (2005). No Country for Old Men. Alfred A. Knopf.
  20. ↑ Alan Greenspan (2003-04-03). "Financial education". Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Federal Reserve. Retrieved 2025-12-26.
  21. ↑ Ries, Eric (2017). The Startup Way. Crown.
  22. ↑ Obama, Barack (1995). Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance. Times Books.
  23. ↑ Bill Murphy Jr. (2020-02-14). "Warren Buffett Says This 1 Simple Habit Is the Key to Success. Here Are 19 Times He Did It in Public". Inc. Retrieved 2025-12-26.
  24. ↑ J.J. Gould (2009-05-20). "Munger on the 'Asininities' of Today's Regulators and Business Leaders". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2025-12-26.
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