Ayn Rand
Born: February 2, 1905 – St. Petersburg, Russia
Ayn Rand was a Russian-born American writer and philosopher best known for her novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged, as well as for founding the philosophy of Objectivism. A strong advocate of individualism and laissez-faire capitalism, her works have sold over 37 million copies and continue to influence political and philosophical movements.
Biography & Author's Journey
Ayn Rand, born Alisa Zinovievna Rosenbaum in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1905, emerged from a privileged Jewish family whose life was dramatically altered by the Russian Revolution. Witnessing the Bolshevik confiscation of her father's pharmacy and enduring the hardships of post-revolutionary Russia, she developed a deep aversion to collectivism and a fascination with the ideals of American individualism. Excelling academically, she completed her studies in philosophy and history at the University of Petrograd before briefly studying screenwriting at the State Institute for Cinema Arts. In 1926, determined to seek freedom and creative opportunities, Rand emigrated to the United States, adopting her pen name and vowing never to return to the Soviet regime.
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Community Voices
"Ayn Rand was a Russian-born American author and philosopher famous for The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged"
— Britannica
"Ayn Rand’s vision of man and her philosophy have changed the lives of thousands and launched a philosophic movement"
— Ayn Rand Lexicon
"Ayn Rand dramatized her unique philosophy in Atlas Shrugged, integrating ethics, metaphysics, politics, and economics"
— Ayn Rand Lexicon
"Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand sold a record 500,000 copies in 2009 and remains widely read"
— Claremont Review of Books
"Ayn Rand was a major intellectual of the twentieth century and founder of the philosophy known as Objectivism"
— Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
"Ayn Rand achieved lasting fame with publication of The Fountainhead, which took seven years to write"
— CliffsNotes
"Ayn Rand was a scriptwriter in Hollywood before publishing her first anti-Communist novel, We the Living"
— Jewish Lives
"Ayn Rand was a phenomenally successful novelist whose books sold millions and inspired a new philosophy"
— Atlas Society
"Ayn Rand was loved, hated, and always controversial, and is more relevant than ever"
— Reason
"Ayn Rand left us a whole vocabulary and made one of the greatest philosophic achievements"
— New Ideal
