COMMENT & ANALYSIS Early in every commercial career there is a moment of clarity as you learn about dishonest dealings in the business world. It is the realisation that when it comes to large sums of money, even seemingly charming fellows are capable of telling serious lies.
I lost my naivety at the age of 28. I took assurances from an audit partner that the accounts of a company I planned to invest in were accurate and prudent. I did not realise that the auditor was about to retire, and that he was far too close to the chief executive of the business – so had little to lose by misleading me.
