Ayn Rand

Ayn Rand (1905–1982) was a Russian-American writer and philosopher. Born in St. Petersburg, she published her first novel, “We the Living,” in 1936. She became best known for “The Fountainhead” (1943) and “Atlas Shrugged” (1957). In her fiction and nonfiction, she developed the philosophy of Objectivism, which emphasizes individualism and capitalism and remains controversial.