An Apology from Rahodeb

Hey, Mackey, what took you so long?

Exactly one week after revelations surfaced that Whole Foods C.E.O. John Mackey posted messages under a pseudonym on Yahoo Finance stock boards for eight years, the executive has apologized.

"I sincerely apologize to all Whole Foods Market stakeholders for my error in judgment in anonymously participating on online financial message boards," Mackey said.

Whole Foods, which is battling antitrust officials over its attempt to acquire competitor Wild Oats, announced yesterday that it has launched an internal investigation into the matter. It also said it will cooperate with an informal investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

We have a feeling that Mackey's reluctant apology (he defended his actions last week) won't be the end of this story.

Our own Felix Salmon has been calling for Mackey's head on a platter since the story first made headlines in the Wall Street Journal. He demands his resignation here, and then reminds us again and again.

The editorial pages in the Wall Street Journal poo-pooed the S.E.C. investigation, claiming that Mackey merely made a mistake and suggesting that the S.E.C. unleashing its "army of ambitious 27-year old lawyers" on him is a waste of time.

You can read the highlights of his postings here.

What do you think? Should Whole Foods serve Mackey his walking papers?

by Megan Barnett

Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images