Sort by controversial to see conservatives upset by providing books to kids.

I’ve been on both sides for many years. Billing rates are basically the same across the big 4 and across middle market (RSM, GT, BDO, etc.). In my experience, billing rates were very rarely the deciding factor in winning a new audit client or selecting a firm for audit, tax or consulting.

RSM is the 5th largest firm worldwide, and is not even close to the top 4. The top is controlled by the 4 firms listed here, with little to no competition from other smaller firms.

To say that middle market firms compete with the big 4 for public company clients is laughable.

Oh right, I forgot about all those small firms that provide consulting, tax, and audit services to public companies, and sit on the boards of public companies. 🙄

Oligopolies are indefensible. I find it odd that anyone would argue that they don’t exist and/or defend them.

I think the bigger takeaway is that this chart is useless because there’s no real world application for any of the data. Revenue doesn’t tell a story. We all know that 4 firms have an oligopoly, collude on billing rates, don’t need to compete with one another, have barriers to entry, and the government protects them.

Assurance is audit.

Advisory is consulting.

Would be more useful if terminology was consistent and you show consulting services in detail for all of them. OP just takes data from a random industry and makes a simple chart without any context.