The revelation that a partner at KPMG leaked privileged information to a “golfing buddy” for a few silver coins is not just another accounting scandal. A 29-year veteran of the accounting firm provided advance notices of client earnings releases and merger plans in exchange for more than $50,000 in cash and gifts, including a $12,000 Rolex watch. It would be easy to dismiss this event, given its minor monetary consequences relative to some of the auditing blunders of the past decade. But this event just may be a watershed.
據披露,一位畢馬威(KPMG)合夥人將機密資訊洩露給一位高爾夫球友,獲得了一些不義之財。這起事件的意義不僅僅是又一起審計醜聞。這位在畢馬威工作了29年的老員工提前透露了客戶業績資訊和併購計劃,換取了價值超過5萬美元的現金和禮物,其中包括一塊價值1.2萬美元的勞力士(Rolex)手錶。這件事很容易遭到忽略,因爲它造成的財務後果遠不如過去10年的一些重大審計醜聞嚴重。但它可能是一道分水嶺。