I'm not going to argue that accounting is all kinds of messed up (totally is), but your comment isn't factually accurate. > This is true, but it used to measur

I'm not going to argue that accounting is all kinds of messed up (totally is), but your comment isn't factually accurate. > This is true, but it used to measure (or at least try to account for) decay in private companies. No, the "G" in GDP stands for "Gross," which means before depreciation. Depreciation has long been estimated in NIPAs, but that's a separate slate of measures. > (especially since our beloved MBAs invented 'future accounting', where expected ROI is added to the value of machinery in the books, truly a genius move by true sociopaths) This isn't true either. You're describing valuation models, e.g. DCF, but these aren't used for accounting. GAAP doesn't have a concept of adding ROI to asset value. It is very true that games are played with depreciation. For example, you're allowed to depreciate some assets like real estate even if they INCREASE in value over time. All of that depreciation is tax-deductible.