Uber's ruthless and controversial CEO Travis Kalanick is said to be a big fan of libertarianism's favorite author, Ayn Rand — which isn't too surprising, given his seemingly laissez-faire beliefs and hatred of government meddling. Rand and her writings even played a huge part in the shaping of Kalanick's own public persona:
Kalanick responded to Uber's new, controversial status by amping things up. He'd attended President Obama’s first inauguration — and to this day is an avowed supporter of ObamaCare — but to support Uber's growth, he took up the mantle of libertarian firebrand. He changed his Twitter avatar to the cover of Rand's The Fountainhead. In a Washington Post article he not only called The Fountainhead "one of my favorite books," but he also brought up Atlas Shrugged, suggesting that the regulatory hellscape conjured by Rand bore an "uncanny resemblance" to what Uber faced. [Fast Company]
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