The Company could be virtually anyone. I have seen this scenario play out multiple times in multiple industries.
In this case, naming The Company would actually be less helpful, not more. If you go into a deal thinking "hey, I can trust these guys; they're not like those louts from ACME Crockpots Inc. that I read about," then you're setting yourself up for trouble. Much better to approach an acquisition deal thinking that these guys might be 'The Company', and taking precautions accordingly.
Actually, I think the general lessons can be learned regardless. Naming The Company would turn it into mudslinging which would change the tone of the article, and IMO probably not for the better.
Agreed. The general case is much better in this regard. The drama from knowing who the players were would distract from the events and any lessons learned.
Well, there are SOME clues. Mention of Silicon Alley means it's probably in New York. The fact that they were having dinner with the CEO means it's probably not Google-scale.
In this case, naming The Company would actually be less helpful, not more. If you go into a deal thinking "hey, I can trust these guys; they're not like those louts from ACME Crockpots Inc. that I read about," then you're setting yourself up for trouble. Much better to approach an acquisition deal thinking that these guys might be 'The Company', and taking precautions accordingly.