Grant Thornton, a global six accounting organization, puts out a quarterly optimism index that is “a quarterly confidence measure of U.S. business leaders”.
That sounds very nice and the index is now up to 2007 levels, according to a firm press release. The press release also states that “58 percent of respondents believe that the economy will come out of recession by the first half of 2010, but only 26 percent plan to increase hiring.”
Call us cynics but this definitely has the whole underpants theory written all over it. Poll some executives with some vaguely worded questions and we are to believe that recovery will occur by virtue of a secret plan that has yet to be developed? Leave the wild speculation to us GT.
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Overstock.com Fires Grant Thornton, Files Unreviewed 10-Q, CEO Remains Humble
There’s really nothing better than an eccentric CEO throwing caution to the wind, consequences be damned.
Insert Patrick Byrne, CEO of Overstock.com (“OSTK”). He issued a letter via press release yesterday that has many people’s attention.
Byrne opens the letter by quoting Nietzsche:
“All things are subject to interpretation; whichever interpretation prevails at a given time is a function of power and not truth.”
Tragic enough but then Byrne really amps it up, droning on for eleven points about his company’s dire situation. Here’s the gist*:
• The difficult accounting treatment of an overpayment received by OSTK from a “partner”.
• Putting the audit out to bid after “eight years of fine service” from P. Dubs, and hiring GT because “my belief that changing auditors every decade or so might be healthy.”
• SEC inquiries into the accounting treatment of the overpayment.
• GT changing their minds on the accounting treament after said inquiries.
• We’re filing an unreviewed 10-Q, P. Dubs is on board for our treatment, GT is fired, anyone (and I mean anyone) want to audit us?
Byrne spends no less than six paragraphs/points explaining GT’s wishy-washy, bending-over-for-the-SEC ways. The man is nothing if not thorough.
Spineless auditors notwithstanding, Byrne will press on, the company will overcome, and he will remain committed to you, Overstock.com shareholder:
I will hold a conference call to further explain and answer questions regarding this matter on Wednesday afternoon at 5:00 p.m. EST (details below). Until then, I remain,
Your humble servant,
Patrick M. Byrne
10-Q [SEC.gov]
8-K: Dismissal of Grant Thornton [SEC.gov]
Press Release [SEC.gov]
*If you want to debate the particulars, be my guest but this isn’t the Journal of Accountancy, feel me?
Is Beckstead & Watts a Real Firm?
We kid, we kid. We’re sure it’s a real firm but they don’t seem to have time for professional services these days.
B&W is the audit firm plaintiff in Free Enterprise Fund and Beckstead and Watts, LLP v. Public Company Accounting Oversight Board that was heard before the SCOTUS earlier this month.
We were pointed to the B&W website which you might notice, is entirely devoted to its case against the PCAOB. As far as we can tell, there isn’t any indication that the firm provides, you know, professional services.
The page does link to the 2006 Accounting Today article that mentions Brad Beckstead as one of the “100 Most Influential People” because he serves as “the symbol of the very opposition to reform the law” but there’s no mention of his superstar auditing abilities.
Even stranger is the firm’s latest PCAOB report which could indicate that the firm is indeed open for business except the report states that the firm doesn’t have any professional staff or issuer audit clients.
So can we assume that the firm’s purpose of being is to serve as the poor audit firm that is taking on the PCAOB? We admire the gusto but what happens when the case is over? Seems like a lot of trouble just for spite.
2006 Top 100 Most Influential People.pdf
Beckstead & Watts PCAOB Report 6.29.09.pdf
BDO May Be Taking a Crack at This ‘Global 6’ Thing
BDO is done messing around. Having watched Grant Thornton fail miserably at trying to get the bean counter universe to embrace “Global 6 Accounting Organization”, the firm, with the help of global CEO Jeremy Newman’s blog, are stepping it up a notch.
According to Newman’s post for today and Accountancy Age, all BDO firms are now operating under the name ‘BDO’ rather than, for example, ‘BDO Seidman’ for the U.S. firm and ‘BDO Stoy Howard’ in the UK.
The reason for the name change, according to the one managing partner:
Continued, after the jump
Simon Michaels, managing partner at BDO, said the move was not just about the “look and feel” of the brand but was aimed at “significantly increasing our market share”. If we present ourselves as a unified global network… then the clients experience the high level of service and that helps to drive the reputation,” he said.
See? It’s working already. A ‘managing partner at BDO’ means this guy could be anywhere. It’s a global firm, in case you’ve forgotten. And ‘increasing our market share’? Dude may not be saying ‘Global 6 Accounting Organization’ but that’s all we’re hearing.
Newman chimes in on his blog:
At the same time we will be updating the ‘look’ of our visual identity – which will hopefully be evident from this website. Nothing too dramatic – but building on the BDO heritage whilst signalling a more modern approach.
Call us unappreciative of the subtle changes for this new ‘look’ but it seems the same to us. Our speculation is that the new ‘BDO’ is striving for continuity amongst all its offices in order to saturate the market to the point that ‘Global 6 Accounting Organization’ bulldozes its way into the vernacular.
Discuss BDO’s strategy or perhaps your thoughts on ‘Global 6’ in general, in the comments.
BDO rebrand creates unified global identity [Accountancy Age]