Never a man afraid to say what he thinks, Noel Gallagher had some pointed advice for Zayn Malik when the singer quit One Direction in 2015. “Get a good accountant,” said the former Oasis songwriter, “because life is very fucking long.”

Wise words, no doubt. Yet in a world where success and excess have always gone hand in hand, the importance of financial management is easily overlooked.

“Accounting is the least sexy part of the business,” admits Ray Bush of ...