The somewhat bizarre news emerged this week that Bill Gates owns about three per cent of sports retailer JJB Sports and five per cent of floorings specialist Carpetright.

Inevitably, this led me to wonder what unexpected UK high street investments might be appropriate for other top IT executives.

Here’s my unlikely top 10 – please add yours in a comment at the end, a prize of unlimited kudos to the best suggestion…

Steve Jobs – Burtons

The Apple chief executive must be in for a share of Burtons, the menswear chain – or at least, to own the black T-shirt section.

Larry Ellison – Millets

The yacht racing Oracle chief executive is bound to pop into Millets now and then for a new sou’wester and waterproof togs, so he’ll want enough shares to have his say at the AGM.

Jonathan Schwartz – Toni & Guy

With that ponytail, there’s only one place for the Sun Microsystems chief to make a beeline for.

Mark Hurd – Jobcentre Plus

Given the number of people the HP chief executive has put their way, he must be interested in part ownership.

Scott McNealy – Car Giant

What better than one of the UK’s biggest car showrooms for the Sun founder who named his sons Maverick, Dakota, Colt, and Scout.

Sam Palmisano – Sunglass Hut

Is the IBM chief executive ever spotted in public? It’s the shades; lets him walk un-noticed through crowds.

Michael Dell – John Lewis

He has to love anyone who names their store after themselves. Eponymous shareholdings only for the PC maker’s founder.

Eric Schmidt – British Library

What do you need all those books for? Once the Google chief is a shareholder, it’s digitisation all the way.

Steve Ballmer – Apple Store

Because you know that secretly the Microsoft chief executive uses an iPod…

John Suffolk – HSS Hire

Just in case the farm-owning UK government CIO runs out of equipment at ploughing / milking / harvest time.