Famous Celebrities You Didn’t Know Who Used To Be Accountants
Accountants are often seen as boring, nerdy, and uninteresting, but you may be surprised to know that some of the country’s most celebrated artists, musicians, athletes, and entrepreneurs actually worked as accountants before gaining their fame.
Accountants Turned Artists
Bob Newhart – a legend in stand-up comedy, Bob Newhart is best loved roles such as Dr. Bob Hartley from The Bob Newhart Show, as well as Dick Loudon in his self-titled sitcom in the 80’s. Unbeknown to many, however, is the fact that Bob Newhart is a bachelor degree holder from Loyola University, where he majored in business management. After his discharge from the army, Newhart served as an accountant for many years within the United States Gypsum Corporation. While his ticket to fame will always be his innate ability to make people laugh, his accounting background helped shape his profession, allowing him to become one of the most successful entertainers of his generation.
John Grisham – the brilliant mind behind some of the most provocative and clever best sellers of all time, Grisham’s body of work includes The Firm, A Time to Kill, The Client, The Chamber, and The Rainmaker, all of which were adapted onto the big screen. His contributions in the field of fiction novel writing have catapulted his fame, making him one of the most respected and highest paid authors in the world. Other than being mighty with his words, Grisham is also very gifted when it came to numbers. A graduate of Mississippi State University where he completed his degree in accounting, Grisham then went on to study at the Mississippi School of Law.
Kenny G. – a musician at heart, Kenny G. also has roots in the world of finance as a graduate of the University of Washington. Although his initial career was short lived, his legacy as a musician will forever be remembered. His unparalleled musicality makes him one of the best saxophonists in the world, earning him a Grammy nod and recognition as one of the highest selling artists of 2003.
Tim DuBois – Tim Dubois is a record label executive from Nashville who started out as an accounting hopeful, leading some to dub him the Singing Accountant. DuBois has a B.A. and M.A in accounting from Oklahoma State University. But after working as a CPA in the 70’s, DuBois soon made the big leap to explore a career as a musician. Over the years, DuBois has been regarded as one of the greatest minds in country music.
Accountants Turned Business Magnates
Arthur Blank – a graduate of Babson College, Arthur Blank first honed his career in finance as part of the Handy Dan Hardware Company. Because of his exemplary skills and dedication, Blank soon rose through the ranks and became a regional manager. In 1978, after severing ties with his former employer, he founded Home Depot along with his partner Bernie Marcus, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Walter L. Morgan – touted as the youngest CPA in Pennsylvania, Morgan is a graduate of Princeton University. From humble beginnings filing tax returns for his affluent clients, Morgan later moved on to establish the Wellington Fund, the first ever mutual fund in the country, now with over $23 billion invested.
Accountants Turned Athletes
D-Lo Brown – before becoming a professional wrestler as a part of the WWF, Brown first worked as a CPA in his local home state of Maine.
Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell – a graduate of Cal Poly University, this Ultimate Fighting Champion and Dancing with the Stars contender holds a degree in business management and accounting.
These are just a few of accountant wanna-be’s who later carved out a famous name for themselves in various industries.
Could schools that offer accounting degrees online be your first step towards fame? Umm…probably not, but completing one of these accounting master’s programs can put you on the path to a good job and happy life.