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Phil Mickelson’s KPMG Hat Has a Twitter Account

Posted on by Caleb Newquist

Long ago, KPMG gave walking billboard Phil Mickelson his own KPMG website. But that was over a year ago. Presence on the Internet these days is really not complete until one has joined the Twittersphere (and followed Going Concern, obviously). While Phil Mickelson himself doesn't appear to have an official Twitter account, his hat has jumped in the pool as of this morning. And since we all know who the brains of this Phil Mickelson operation is, the hat having a Twitter account makes perfect sense.

Now, you may think that this is just a publicity ruse so that John Veihmeyer can get a little extra caddy time in with Phil, but actually there's a charitable cause here. You see, for all you duffers out there that like to hack around your local municipal links, you can spend $29.95 to purchase Phil's new blue (duh) hat and KPMG's Family for Literacy will donate three new books to children in need. Yes, it's sorta like Toms, if that helps you.

So if you're in the market for a new lid for this spring and summer, I suppose you could do worse than a blue KPMG hat and putting books in a kid's hands. Although any partners that leave for PwC will have to ceremoniously return them to John V's office with Phil watching disapprovingly via Skype. Just think about that next time you take a call from PwC's competitive poaching department.

 

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From today’s report in the Guardian:

Just two months ago, Tui chief executive Peter Long said: “KPMG identified some system weaknesses and ledgers that had not been reconciled … Yes, they identified some of these control weaknesses which had then manifested themselves into the issues subsequently identified through a detailed investigation.”

Nothing unusual really, these things happen, clients usually grin and bear it but not our “international leisure travel group.”

KPMG said its relationship with “certain [Tui Travel] directors became increasingly strained” following “extensive discussions with the directors”. Among the areas where KPMG had raised concerns, the letter added, were the implications arising from the restated accounts and “their disclosure and accounting treatment in the financial statements”. Relations had reached such a low ebb, KPMG concluded, that “we are not confident that in the future we could carry out an audit of the company to the appropriate standard, but others may be able to do so.”

So it kinda sounds like their annoyance with the whole thing slowly boiled over into flat-out bitterness, leading to some increasingly unpleasant conversations. Sure, the directors in question would start out acting cool about it, “You know [chuckling], you really didn’t do us any favors there.” But eventually it became, “Boy, you’ve really outdone yourself, this time.” And finally, “For crissakes! You couldn’t leave it alone, couldja? [extremely patient KPMG partner explaining on the other end] What?!? [increasingly steamed, drumming fingers] We don’t care if it’s your job; we don’t like being embarrassed. [Pause, eyeroll] Stewards of generally accepted accounting principles?!? What does that even mean? [brief pause] Whatever, you can plan on us being uncooperative going forward.”

Or something like that.

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