10 Celebrity Almost-CPAs

Mick Jagger

Before crooning Paint it Black as lead singer of the Rolling Stones, Mick Jagger was preparing to keep clients in the black, reportedly studying accounting and finance at the London School of Economics for a year before leaving to fully commit to his musical side project.
(Photo by Dina Regine)

Bob Newhart

After his service in the Korean War and a brief stint in law school, comedy legend Bob Newhart got a job as an accountant for manufacturer United States Gypsum. According to his memoir, he didnt last long because of his thats close enough attitude, leading to one more stopover as an advertising copywriter before his big break.(Photo by Alan Light)

Eddie Izzard

English comedian and actor Eddie Izzard already had the comic itch when studying accountancy at the University of Sheffield, following in the footsteps of his father, former president of the Institute of Internal Auditors and chief auditor of BP. He soon scratched it, and school, to become a performer on the street and later on the stage and screen.
(Photo by Nickjwebb)

John Grisham

Author John Grishams best-selling "The Firm" could have detailed a CPA one, had he followed his BS degree in accounting from Mississippi State University into the profession. Instead, reportedly put off by the complexity and lunacy of becoming a tax lawyer, he pursued the trial law that would become the foundation of his novels.(Photo by Scott Brenner)

Chuck Liddell

Retired mixed martial artist Chuck Liddell graduated with a B.A. in business/accounting from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, but UFC mustve had more allure than CPA, as the Hall-of-Famer was later designated Ultimate Fighting Championship Light Heavyweight Champion.
(Photo from www.marines.mil)

Cris Carter

Hall of Fame NFL receiver and ESPN analyst Cris Carter might have been counting down to more than Monday Night Football had he pursued a passion he recently revealed to the Star Tribune. I always loved math in high school and I thought that I would be an accountant, he told the Minnesota paper. But I also thought I would be better at counting money in the NFL."
(Photo from MN National Guard)

Gibby Haynes

Musician Gibby Haynes not only studied accounting at Trinity University, he was named Accounting Student of the Year before working as an auditor at accounting firm Peat Marwick. No word on whether his former colleagues attended the shows of the band he later formed and left the profession to front, the Butthole Surfers, but were pretty sure they would have at least nominated him as Accountant of the Month.
(Photo from Latino Bugger Veil)