You have developed a new product and you desperately want your company to sell the product. However top-level management will not approve the product because of its high breakeven point.

You realize you can reduce the breakeven point by reducing the fixed costs. You work with a friend in the finance department to find ways to misstate the estimated fixed costs and therefore reduce the breakeven point to where management will not object. You are sure the product will be successful, and you are sure top management will not find out about the understatement of fixed costs. Ultimately you are sure the company’s shareholders will benefit from the success of this product.

What are the ethics of this thing?