Just to add on this, Rand goes as far as to associate wealth with social merit. As in, the richest among us are rich because they deserve to be, given their inherent superiority. And conversely, if you’re poor, it’s because you deserve to be poor. You don’t have the go-getter mindset of a real entrepreneur. Blaming other circumstances is just making excuses for personal failure.

And anyone who would support things like “tax the billionaires more” or “maybe this industry needs regulations” are subhuman leeches trying to siphon away the genius of wealthy industrialists, who are the only heroes in this world trying to make it a better place (for those who deserve it). Ayn Rand is partly why there are people today who unironically think “I’d be leading my own colony on Mars by now, if only people would leave Elon Musk alone and let him do what he wants.”