Examining intersecting lives: Luca Pacioli, father of accounting, and his friend, Leonardo da Vinci

Abstract

In 1494, the first printed book on double-entry accounting was written by Franciscan Friar Luca Pacioli, later called the Father of Accounting. He would become close friends with Leonardo da Vinci, the iconic symbol of the Renaissance. This study analyzes simultaneously the lives of Pacioli and Leonardo, using a ‘biographical lens’ approach, incorporating older research and more recent work, to shed new light on their lives and contributions, providing a glimpse of how they became friends, where their lives intersected, some interests they shared, and how each contributed to the other's work. Preparers and users of financial information are indebted to Luca Pacioli for his monumental role in the development of accounting. His friend, Leonardo, made myriad contributions to art and science, notably world-famous paintings such as the Last Supper. Pacioli and Leonardo changed the course of history with their exceptional contributions, sometimes collaborating, to their respective fields.