Wednesday, May 7, 2014

MY MOST IMPORTANT BLOG EVER: I Am Bill Ackman's Identity Crisis

It's hard to keep up with Bill Ackman sometimes. I can't tell if he wants to be a portfolio manager, a journalist, a website producer, a movie director or a geologist (he's digging under rocks).

There have been some interesting developments in Herbalife today. I saw today that Gasparino confirmed that the NY Attorney General has not subpoenaed Herbalife. It's kind of hard to have an investigation without a subpoena no? On the Gasparino's report I contacted the company separately and confirmed his claim; Herbalife has not been subpoenaed by the NY AG. That news comes on the heels of Herbalife announcing their ASR with BofA.


And last week Ackman debuted his documentary and hosted a discussion panel afterward that both clearly demonstrated a serious disconnect between Ackman's claims and the reality of the situation. The stock is not at an all time high, but Ackman is still underwater on his trade (if he's still in it) and it seems that no matter what he does, it just isn't enough. Theta decay is a bitch.

Back to geology. Let's lift up a few rocks:


  • I, TheSkeptic21 (@theskeptic21) am one single person that writes blogs and tweets that are entirely my own opinion and my own thoughts.
  • My girlfriend is in finance. I asked her and she has never tweeted or blogged about Herbalife or any other company.
  • I have reason to believe that Michelle Celarier of the NYPost is about to profile me in an article.
  • I think that Michelle Celarier is blatantly attempting to support Bill Ackman's failed short trade on Herbalife.
  • I believe Michelle Celarier may have used nefarious means to obtain information about me (or that someone used nefarious means to obtain that information and then gave it to her).
  • Michelle Celarier and the NY Post (and anyone they may be writing such an article at the behest of) are baiting the hook with someone I love (my girlfriend); I believe this is the short side's desperate attempt to silence me.
  • Anything anyone may write about my girlfriend, aside from basic facts like age, employment history etc., will likely be fabricated. She has nothing to do with TheSkeptic21 and the opinions expressed by me have been entirely my own.
  • What is particularly unfortunate and unacceptable is that my pregnant girlfriend (we don't know boy or girl yet, but I will tell you in a few months) is likely to face difficulties and aggravation in the industry she loves because a conjuring, conniving billionaire has made a reckless bet that has moved against him. You only need look back on my previous posts and some excellent articles by the NY Times and others to observe his tactics.
  • Based on his previous tactics and Michelle Celarier's previous articles, I have little doubt that they'll still write a story about me anyway and they'll probably include names and facts about people I love, although I hope they don't.
  • All that being said, it would appear that Ackman is finally desperate enough in his trade to go after a lone blogger that speaks truth.
In light of all that, I have to ask what type of world we live in where behavior such as this is acceptable?  My identity and the identity of my girlfriend has absolutely nothing to do with any of this. My girlfriend has done nothing wrong, and I have done nothing wrong, yet our identities and privacy are being used as a threat. Say what you will about blogging, but I thought confidentiality and privacy were inviolable within the hallowed halls of journalism, yet a journalist is using that very privacy as a threat. And to what end?

If my identity comes out, it will not stop me from writing the truth, and writing about my observations, nor should I be threatened into submission by the threat of my identity being revealed (or the identities of people I know) by a powerful billionaire and his journalistic cronies. Keep in mind, I've never blogged or tweeted anything that was material non-public information, nor have I received, traded on or disseminated anything of the sort for that matter. I have merely pointed out the shortcomings in Bill Ackman's Herbalife short thesis and the whole while I have maintained that everyone should form their own opinion entirely separate from my own. I fully intend to protect myself if they print lies.

It's time for Ackman, Pershing Square, the NY Post and Michelle Celarier to stop pretending that they're doing the right thing and to actually start doing it.

(*disclosure: considering the intimate threat of her identity being revealed, I have allowed my girlfriend to read this before publishing.)

8 comments:

  1. Skeptic- this is not surprising, but terribly unfortunate. there is a special place in hell for some journalists...and a place there also for people that use the guise of doing good to make a little money. I will do alot to make money, but i wouldn't sanctimoniously act like i was in any way saving society when at the same time i am hiring shills etc. It's disgusting. Jeez, at the end of the day, it's money and can hardly be worth compromising one's integrity. You do great work. if i can help, be in touch.

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  2. Thanks for expressing your wherewithal in a way that you believe is correct. If they print a story about you - that would only show you have exposed their shenanigans with evidence to the contrary. Congrats! I hope that if they write a story about, that it would only be a positive experience for you, in other words, that it would backfire on them!

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  3. I sure hope you're a criminal, or a hired flack for a pyramid scheme ... cause otherwise doxing you is really going to anger and disgust me.

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  4. you should consider the implications of your position and relationships before holding yourself and your opinions out publicly. when you step into the arena, particularly when your commentary is sharp tongued, expect to get it back twice as hard. and any expectation you had of anonymity is an illusion. if you have nothing to hide, then you shouldn't need to hide. days ago, you had a swagger and hubris in your tone. today, you have a decidedly different tone as the veil of secrecy is about to be removed. sounds like guilt and regret, mixed with anger, bitterness and resentment, of course. i empathize.

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    1. From the mountain top the thin skinned speaks. Your dislike for those who disagree with you is evident. The arrogance in your replies speaks volumes about your character.

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  5. You sound like a scam artist.

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  6. CrimeBustersNow A message for you and all the other Herablife and similar MLM anonymous fraud artists and supporters.... remember this???

    "Every time we turn our heads the other way when we see the law flouted, when we tolerate what we know to be wrong, when we close our eyes and ears to the corrupt because we are too busy or too frightened, when we fail to speak up and speak out, we strike a blow against freedom and decency and justice.”
    ― Robert F. Kennedy

    David Thornton
    Activist & Concerned Canadian Citizen: Simply doing what WE can to expose and eradicate fraud.

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  7. Skeptic, keep up the good work. The information you delivered has always been on the mark. The shorts cry for ethics and sunshine but think Ackman is exempt from such criteria.

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