John Mackey, the chief executive of Whole Foods, has been rumbled for using a pseudonym – ‘Rahodeb’, an anagram of his wife’s name Deborah – to post comments on Yahoo! Finance. As well as commenting on John Mackey’s “cute” new haircut, ‘Rahodeb’ liked to talk down the competition in the organic groceries business. Wild Oats, another natural foods business, “has no value and no future”. Indeed, Rahodeb rubbished the idea that Whole Foods might buy Wild Oats at $8 a share: “Would Whole Foods buy OATS? Almost surely not at current prices. What would they gain? OATS locations are too small.” Two years later, Mr Mackey’s Whole Foods bought Wild Oats for $18.50 a share.

This need not just be embarrassing for Mr Mackey. It could be inspiring to other executives. Using anagrams to create their own noms de web, they could also try their hand at talking down the share price of acquisition targets and, while they’re at it, letting off a little steam.

Here are some suggested postings.

Derf Windoog: “Would RBS bid for ABN if it can’t buy LaSalle? I don’t think so. All that regulatory hassle for a second rate European bank, then the headache of integrating the Dutch and without even getting the prized American banking business, what’s the point?”

Torber Zuechting: “Another private equity bid for Sainsbury’s? I can’t see it. The JS locations are too big and all the claims that the property portfolio is undervalued are overblown. The only person who would make a fortune is Justin King. The Qataris team up with Tchenguiz to bid for it? Not at these prices.”

Hilpp Nerge: “Will BHS get sold and another bid be mounted for M&S? At £6.47, I don’t think so. Everyone makes such a fuss about Stuart Rose, but for all the talk, he still hasn’t got profits back to where they were. It’s not worth much more than £4 a share. Why would Arcadia want to buy it? What would they gain?”

Lupa Sadam: “BAT buying Altadis? Surely not. What if there’s a change of control clause and the Spanish group has to stop selling Havana cigars if it gets sold? What happens when Castro dies? And, anyway, at €50 a share, the price is just too high.”

Rerbot Seaton: “Carlyle snapping up Virgin and then moving in on ITV? There may be logic in rolling up a distribution business with a big content company, but not at these prices. What would they gain?”

Times Recommends

• Equitable Life halts £7bn sale on market turmoil
• Potential buyers emerge to save Woolworths staff
• Terrorist attacks close Bombay Stock Exchange