A
RI fosters a growing awareness, understanding and acceptance
of Ayn Rand’s philosophy, Objectivism, in order to create a
culture whose guiding principles are reason, rational self-interest,
individualism and laissez-faire capitalism—a culture in which
individuals are free to pursue their own happiness.
“
The present state of the world is not
proof of philosophy’s impotence,
but the proof of philosophy’s
power. It is philosophy that
has brought men to this
state—it is only philosophy
that can lead them out.
”
—Ayn Rand
“For the New Intellectual,”
For the New Intellectual
ANNUAL REPORT 2019
OUR MISSION
Forward to Table of Contents
Dear Friends,
I
t’s been a whirlwind year at the Ayn Rand Institute, and
I’m eager to share the most exciting details with you.
Last year, I described changes that would better align
ARI’s capabilities with its mission—namely, gearing our
organizational structure and operating practices to
becoming a better educational and promotional
organization. We set out to radically increase new
educational content being produced and distributed,
and to engage many more people in consuming it. Since
last year, we grew consumption by 611 percent—from 1,206
to 7,365 hours monthly. This new engagement has led to a 50
percent increase in subscribers to our YouTube channel—from
30,000 this time last year to over 45,000 now.
In addition to YouTube, new consumption growth has
largely occurred on a new platform, the development
of which was a significant undertaking in 2019. In
February, with the help of a major donor, we launched
the Ayn Rand University mobile app. The iOS and
Android apps have made it easy and cost-free to consume
decades of invaluable Objectivist content, including talks
by Ayn Rand and courses by leading Objectivist intellectuals
such as Leonard Peikoff and Harry Binswanger.
For more about Ayn Rand’s growing online presence
and how we are generating new interest in her ideas
through introductory content, see pages 8–11.
ARI’s journal New Ideal maintained its steady output of at
least two substantive pieces per week, some of which were
picked up by Google News and distributed widely. Also on
New Ideal, we published a series of previously unpublished
letters of Ayn Rand, edited by ARI’s founding executive
director and editor of The Letters of Ayn Rand, Michael Berliner.
Other 2019 highlights you’ll read about in this report include:
• An increase in the number of Ayn Rand Conferences,
from one to four per year—nearly doubling 2018’s
overall conference attendance, from 789 to 1,547.
We plan to increase this number to 3,500 in 2020.
• Through our Free Books to Teachers program, we
estimate that more than 300,000 students now read
Ayn Rand each year.
• A record 107 people participated in the
Objectivist Academic Center (OAC) in 2019.
We are moving quickly, while recognizing that ours is a
long-range mission. In The Romantic Manifesto, Ayn Rand
wrote: “Anyone who fights for the future, lives in it today.”
Fittingly, this year’s Objectivist summer conference
(OCON)—which celebrated the 50th anniversary of The
Romantic Manifesto—sought not only to give attendees
the necessary intellectual fuel for that fight, but also the
spiritual fuel to “[live] in it today.” (See pages 16–17.)
With a mission as broad and ambitious as altering the
fundamental premises of a culture, it can be a challenge
to know the best next step toward success, but with the
progress we’ve made, we are much better equipped to
measure outcomes and allocate resources efficiently.
If, after reading about the results of our work in 2019, you
are as confident as I am about ARI’s future, then I hope
you will continue or even grow your support for our vital
mission. The current demand for our programs and the
impact opportunities we have today far outweigh our
resources. Your additional support will send more books to
classrooms, sponsor new Ayn Rand Conferences, and fund
new series of engaging and inspiring content. It will introduce
Ayn Rand to more people around the world, every day, at a
pace greater than we have been able to achieve in the past.
I appreciate your support and hope you will
remain with us in our fight for the future.
Sincerely,
Tal Tsfany
President and CEO
The Ayn Rand Institute
W
hen the Ayn Rand Institute was established in
1985, its founders understood they were playing
the long game. ARI’s founding documents quote Rand
herself: “The present state of the world is not the proof
of philosophy’s impotence, but the proof of philosophy’s
power. It is philosophy that has brought men to this
state [of cultural bankruptcy]—it is only philosophy
that can lead them out.” (For the New Intellectual, 1961)
ARI is the only institution fighting for freedom in the
world today that understands this fundamental truth.
To the extent the world has moved forward since the
18th century, it has done so by implementing, however
imperfectly, the ideals of the Enlightenment: reason,
science, individualism and a government limited by the
principle of individual rights. To the extent the world
has stagnated or retrogressed, it has done so because of
the ascendency of opposite philosophic ideas: mysticism,
dialectical “logic” and other pseudo-scientific approaches,
collectivism/tribalism, and unlimited government given
the power to sacrifice the property and lives of individuals,
when doing so is said to be in the “public interest.”
Philosophy and much of the wider intellectual world turned
against the Enlightenment in the 19th century, which is
why the 20th century was not just a century of progress,
but also one of widescale conflict, destruction and murder.
Rand viewed her new philosophy, Objectivism, as
putting the Enlightenment’s ideals for the first time
on a fully rational, fully defensible foundation.
ARI exists to inject that philosophy into the lifeblood of
civilization. The Institute’s progress, accordingly, is not
measured in days, but in decades. Perhaps the clearest
sign of progress is that Rand’s ideas are following a
trajectory similar to what J. B. S. Haldane outlined for the
acceptance of radical ideas: first the idea is dismissed as
worthless nonsense; then it is regarded as an interesting
but perverse point of view; then it is regarded as true
but unimportant; then it is said to have been everyone’s
viewpoint all along. Arguably, we have moved into the
second stage, as evidenced by the growing worldwide interest
in Rand’s ideas, by how often her ideas are mentioned in the
media and in ideological discussions, and by the growing
difficulty of simply dismissing her ideas as nonsense.
This change over the last thirty-plus years is in large part
due to ARI’s activities: our essay contests, books to teachers
program, educational talks, conferences and courses,
media appearances, and published essays and books. We
are trying to change people’s fundamental convictions
and to normalize discussion of Rand’s radical ideas.
Our focus on the long-range dissemination of philosophic
ideas does not mean there are no shorter-term successes.
But it does mean that these successes are created through
the impact we have on other individuals and organizations.
For instance, one of ARI’s long-standing, vital activities
is educating individuals about Rand’s ideas and their
application. Many of these individuals go on to do
impactful work. We have helped train individuals who are
now teaching and publishing at universities, are involved
with legal think tanks like the Pacific Legal Foundation,
the Institute for Justice, and the Center for the Protection
of Intellectual Property, and have founded organizations
like the Center for Industrial Progress and Higher Ground
Education. We need thousands more individuals like
these who are knowledgeable about Rand’s ideas and
are working to apply them to forge a new culture.
It’s an exciting journey, in which I hope you join us.
If you already have, thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
Onkar Ghate
Chief Philosophy Officer and Senior Fellow
The Ayn Rand Institute
ANNUAL REPORT 2019 3
Forward to Table of ContentsForward to Table of Contents
2 AYN RAND INSTITUTE
From Our Chief Executive Officer From Our Chief Philosophy Officer
FY 2019 HIGHLIGHTS TABLE OF CONTENTS
73K+
VIEWS
PER MONTH
143
Launch of the New
Ayn Rand University
Mobile App
(see p. 9)
300K+
VIEWS OF THE
OBJECTIVISM ON HAPPINESS
INTERVIEW SERIES
WITH DAVE RUBIN
SEE PP. 1011
Ayn Rand Society Philosophical Studies
FOUNDATIONS OF A FREE SOCIETY
Reflections on Ayn Rand’s Political Philosophy
GREGORY SALMIERI and
ROBERT MAYHEW, editors
Two new books featuring the work
of ARI-affiliated intellectuals:
64.4K+
FOLLOWERS
over 17.4K+
FOLLOWERS
1M
FOLLOWERS
ACROSS ALL PAGES
1M+/MONTH
USERS REACHED
Forward to Table of Contents
300K+
VIEWS OF THE
OBJECTIVISM ON HAPPINESS
INTERVIEW SERIES
WITH DAVE RUBIN
SEE PP. 1011
ANNUAL REPORT 2019 54 AYN RAND INSTITUTE
45K+
SUBSCRIBERS
Foundations of a Free Society: Reflections
on Ayn Rand’s Political Philosophy (Gregory
Salmieri and Robert Mayhew, eds.) and
Keeping It Real: Bringing Ideas Down to Earth
(Leonard Peikoff; and Barry Wood, ed.)
Our Mission ........................................1
From Our Chief Executive Officer ...................2
From Our Chief Philosophy Officer..................3
FY 2019 Highlights.................................4
Table of Contents...................................5
Unleashing a Second Renaissance ..................6–7
Ayn Rand’s Growing Digital Presence
on YouTube and with the
Ayn Rand University Mobile App ..............8–9
ARI’s Renewed Focus on Introductory Content...10–11
Introducing Ayn Rand to Students Nationwide ....12–13
AynRandCon on the Road.......................14–15
OCON: Living Objectivism .....................16–17
Training Future Objectivist Intellectuals ..........18–19
Victoria Guerrero, Student, Describes Ayn Rand’s
Influence on Her Life .......................20–21
The 2020 Vision .............................. 22–23
Why I Invest in ARI ...........................24–25
Ways You Can Support Our Mission ................26
ARI Board of Directors, Staff and Associates .........27
Fiscal Year 2019 Financial Statements ...............28
morE than
50% IncrEaSE
4,500+
2,700+
26,500+
69,222
Time Period
Time Period
FY 2019
FY 2019
FY 2018
FY 2018
78,339
24,061
18,663
16,686
14,920
11,125
9,123
7,246
13,147
31,756
58,375
48,570
38,846
31,715
25,925
21,413
17,117
7,742
October
October
November
November
December
December
January
January
February
February
March
March
April
April
May
May
June
June
July
July
August
August
September
September
12,330
88,385
Hours of Course Consumption
FY 2018 vs. FY 2019
90K
80K
70K
60K
50K
40K
30K
20K
10K
0K
Hours ConsumedHours Consumed
1,100+
DOWNLOADS
HOURS CONSUMED
PER MONTH
LESSONS
DOWNLOADED
PER MONTH
LESSONS COMPLETED
PER MONTH
NEW VIDEOS
RELEASED
316,878
290,894
257,905
212,891
173,425
137,004
114,778
87,186
42,355
48,185
54,154
59,757
35,111
67,925
57,428
22,727
46,454
33,196
29,435
66,725
78,296
102,190
320K
300K
280K
260K
240K
220K
200K
180K
160K
140K
120K
100K
80K
60K
40K
20K
All Video Content Consumption
FY 2018 vs. FY 2019
6 AYN RAND INSTITUTE
Back to Table of ContentsBack to Table of Contents
“
Today, Ayn Rand’s definition
of a rational moral code has
the power to unleash a
Second Renaissance and
a new Enlightenment. . . .
”
ANNUAL REPORT 2019 7
I
n the title essay of For the New
Intellectual, Ayn Rand describes
the way in which the Renaissance
led to the Enlightenment, then
to capitalism and the Industrial
Revolution. The result was the
unparalleled explosion of new
wealth and human well-being
that occurred in the 19th century.
The prelude to the Renaissance, she
explained, was the return of Aristotle via
the writings of Thomas Aquinas. The
enormous intellectual development from
the Renaissance onwards required the
efforts of thinkers across many fields.
Ultimately, the Aristotelian secular,
rational worldview was expressed in
the works of intellectual professionals,
and then European culture more
broadly. Many of the first scientists,
artists and writers were supported by
visionary patrons who stepped
forward to fuel the Renaissance
and thus helped pave the way
for the Enlightenment and its
crowning achievement: the
United States of America.
B
ut this line of achievement, Ayn Rand
observed, was vulnerable. The
Enlightenment’s philosophers were unable
to defend reason or define a rational code
of morality, which left vulnerable the ideal
of individual rights and the system which
protected it—and which fostered such a
groundswell of productive achievement:
capitalism. As a result, their movement
eventually collapsed and their achievements
have steadily eroded.
Today, Ayn Rand’s definition of a rational moral code
has the power to unleash a second Renaissance and a
new Enlightenment—and to spur the same outpouring
of progress toward ever greater human flourishing.
While no single institution was responsible for the first
Renaissance, we believe broad cultural change can follow
from the efforts of a new school of intellectuals, supported
in their work by the philosophic innovations of a genius and
the resources of an organization backed by contributors
like you. Thanks to you, ARI is working to shorten the time
between the first and a second Renaissance.
In the pages that follow, we are pleased to present many
of the results of our work in 2019—and the key pillars of
our strategy moving forward.
UNLEASHING A SECOND RENAISSANCE
AYN RAND’S GROWING DIGITAL PRESENCE
on YouTube and with the Ayn Rand University Mobile App
O
ne of the Ayn Rand Institute’s top priorities is
leveraging digital technology to accelerate
awareness and acceptance of Ayn Rand’s ideas.
Since 2018, we’ve been focused on growing Ayn Rand’s
presence on YouTube—increasing the prominence of
her ideas on that massive platform by adding new
videos and attracting more subscribers to our channel.
This year, ARI made another significant stride forward by
introducing the Ayn Rand University mobile app, a new
platform for consuming Objectivist courses on Apple and
Android mobile devices.
For many years, in-depth courses on Objectivism could only
be accessed in person or by purchasing costly mail-order
cassettes or CDs. Now, anyone in the world can pursue a
self-directed, advanced education in Objectivism for free
using our app, with new content added each month. This is a
critical lowering of barriers to learning that will accelerate the
global spread of Objectivism.
GROWING ARI’S YOUTUBE CHANNEL
YouTube may hold more potential than any other medium
for increasing the rate at which Ayn Rand’s ideas are
discovered and explored by receptive minds around the globe.
YouTube is the world’s second-largest search engine, with
two billion people logging in monthly. The platform is
increasingly used by young people as an all-purpose reference,
eclipsing Google and Wikipedia as a first stop for learning
about an unfamiliar topic. Even when users are not searching
specifically for information about Ayn Rand, YouTube’s
recommendation algorithm nonetheless continually suggests
and automatically plays content related to what the user has
already watched. For young minds looking for answers to
life’s big questions or for interesting angles on current issues
in the culture, it has never been easier to discover Ayn Rand.
Significantly, YouTube is also becoming a global hub for
intellectual discourse online—a forum for intellectuals to
gain a much larger audience than was possible in traditional
media and at universities—and for individuals to direct their
own learning. By releasing hundreds of high-quality videos
with timely content each year, ARI can continue to grow the
presence of Ayn Rand in the marketplace of ideas.
As more and more viewers discover Ayn Rand on YouTube,
many will subscribe to the ARI channel there. And the more
subscribers we get, the more YouTube’s algorithms suggest
our videos to other viewers. With hundreds of videos on a
huge variety of topics, our channel offers the world’s most
comprehensive selection of incisive lectures by Ayn Rand and
leading Objectivist intellectuals that upend conventional
ideas about how to think and live.
At this time last year, ARI announced a 52 percent year-over-
year growth in subscribers to the Ayn Rand Institute YouTube
channel, from the previous year’s 19,700 to over 30,000. This
year, we are pleased to report a 50 percent growth to more
than 45,000 subscribers.
Starting in early 2019, ARI has released a stream of new
interviews featuring prominent Objectivist intellectuals and
popular media personalities. ARI expects these interviews
to keep new subscribers engaged while increasing their
knowledge of Objectivism, and to attract more subscribers
from our collaborators’ audiences.
THE 2019 INTERVIEW SERIES, OBJECTIVISM ON
HAPPINESS, WITH DAVE RUBIN
In January 2019, ARI began taping a video series titled
Objectivism on Happiness in collaboration with popular YouTube
host Dave Rubin of The Rubin Report. The series features
Rubin’s interviews with seven Objectivists—four philosophers,
an internationally known speaker, a psychologist and a
notable businessman—offering insightful perspectives on
what happiness is and how to achieve it. The series was
released in twelve episodes between February 27 and April 24.
The release plan for this series was designed to capture new
viewers for ARI from Rubin’s audience and send them to
ARI’s YouTube channel. The premiere episode played on The
Rubin Report YouTube channel, and it referred viewers to the
next episodes in the series—three of which were posted at the
same time as the first—on ARI’s channel. As of late 2019, the
premiere episode has been viewed over 58,000 times; other
episodes have been viewed a combined 253,000 times. By
far the most popular episode in the series, with over 88,000
views, has been Onkar Ghate’s “Do We Have Free Will?”—
which appeared on ARI’s YouTube channel.
THE 201920 INTERVIEW SERIES, EXPLORING
OBJECTIVISM WITH GLORIA ÁLVAREZ
Later in 2019, ARI began filming a new interview series
with Gloria Álvarez, an author, TV-radio host and political
commentator well known throughout Latin America for
her pro-liberty views. Exploring Objectivism with Gloria Álvarez
is being subtitled in Spanish for wide distribution in Latin
America, where there’s growing interest in Ayn Rand’s ideas,
fueled in part by the conferences offered there in 2019. The
series premiered on the ARI YouTube channel on October 29
with an interview of Harry Binswanger. More episodes are
planned for release in 2019 and 2020.
INTRODUCTION OF THE AYN RAND
UNIVERSITY MOBILE APP
In February 2019, ARI announced the launch of a new
mobile app, Ayn Rand University. The app expands on the
ARI Campus experience, making that site’s full catalogue
of educational courses—and a growing collection of new
courses—free and easily accessible, online or offline, anywhere
in the world. Since launch, the app has been downloaded in
every country of the world, with the exceptions of the Vatican
and North Korea—by more than 29,000 people.
Besides fifty-one courses with more than 500 hours of
content, the app includes the full Ayn Rand Lexicon and
dozens of Ayn Rand’s essays and audio recordings. More app
features will be added over time.
Cutting-edge software will allow ARI to monitor
consumption patterns so that we can guide users to related
course material and to conferences and events, increasing the
likelihood of long-term engagement with Objectivism.
YOUTUBE
VIDEOS
CAMPUS
COURSES
798
51
NEW IDEAL
ARTICLES
175
EPISODES ON
ARI LIVE! PODCAST
55
TOTALS BY THE
END OF FY 2019
Back to Table of ContentsBack to Table of Contents
FY 2017FY 2016
244.9
209.9
98.1
90.1
124.0
54.4
15.2
42.2
11.0
5.2
2.8
5.3
0.2
Hours of Video Content Created Each Fiscal Year
FY 2018 FY 2019
240
220
200
180
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
8 AYN RAND INSTITUTE ANNUAL REPORT 2019 9
Campus Content
Non-Campus Content
FY 2015FY 2014FY 2013FY 2012FY 2011FY 2010FY 2009FY 2008FY 2007 2019201820172016201520142013
11K
10K
9K
8K
7K
6K
5K
4K
3K
2K
1K
0K
Mobile
Playback Location February 2019:
App is released
November 2018: After an initial
rush of interest, consumption
numbers average out
August 2018: We began
making more course material
available on YouTube
YouTube
Website
Campus Course Consumption by Playback Location
Hours Created
ARI partnered with The Rubin Report’s Dave Rubin to produce Objectivism
on Happiness, a series introducing Ayn Rand’s ideas to Rubin’s audience.
This series, featuring Objectivist intellectuals interviewed by Gloria
Álvarez, will introduce Ayn Rand to hundreds of thousands of people.
ARI will soon release a series of animated videos, illustrating Ayn Rand’s
ideas, delivered in her own voice using archival recordings.
Ayn Rand Conferences (AynRandCons) around the world have given hundreds
of attendees their first in-depth encounters with Ayn Rand’s ideas.
Register for ARI’s new weekly webinar series: aynrand.org/webinars
Participate in live,
interactive seminars with
ARI experts as they discuss
life’s big questions.
Back to Table of ContentsBack to Table of Contents
10 AYN RAND INSTITUTE
AynRandCon–Latin America 2019
BUENOS AIRES
ANNUAL REPORT 2019 11
ARI’S RENEWED FOCUS ON
INTRODUCTORY CONTENT
I
n 2018, ARI launched a strategic initiative designed
to dramatically increase its production and
distribution of free, high-quality intellectual content
and to “saturate the airwaves” with Ayn Rand’s ideas.
We are excited about the results! There has been a
dramatic increase in content consumption, a large
increase in new subscribers to ARI’s YouTube channel
and growth across several other mass-audience
distribution channels. (See the figures on pages 4–5.)
In 2019, we brought Ayn Rand’s ideas to new audiences
by developing a wealth of introductory content—
engaging and philosophically deep, yet accessible to
people without prior familiarity with Objectivism.
The content is geared to showing new audiences how
Ayn Rand’s ideas are relevant to their own concerns.
It is important that this content is a fitting stand-
alone starting point for exploring the philosophy.
This shift in focus inspired the creation of an interview
series in partnership with The Rubin Report’s Dave
Rubin (already released) and another with Latin
American media personality Gloria Álvarez (partially
released, with more episodes to come). Both of these
collaborators attract large numbers of viewers who fit
ARI’s target audience criteria, and whom we expect
have had little prior exposure to Objectivist ideas.
Likewise, ARI’s new weekly series of live webinar
presentations, Philosophy for Living on Earth, was created to
engage primarily newcomers in thoughtful exploration
of topics that are of interest to most people—whether
big philosophical questions like the existence of God,
the nature of morality or the source of man’s rights—or
more personal topics like romantic love and self-esteem.
ARI’s emphasis on newcomers is also reflected in a
significant expansion of live event offerings, tailored to
showcase the power and relevance of Ayn Rand’s ideas to
new audiences. In 2019, ARI hosted or provided support
for three new weekend-long conferences: AynRandCon–
Europe; AynRandCon–Latin America in Buenos Aires,
Argentina; and AynRandCon–Brazil in Porto Alegre,
Brazil. The conferences abroad were attended primarily
by newcomers. In 2020, we will take AynRandCon on
the road, with at least five one-day AynRandCons in U.S.
cities. We expect these one-day conferences to attract
many local attendees with varying degrees of familiarity
with Ayn Rand, who might not travel to an AynRandCon
but would be happy to attend one close to home.
This shift in focus has also affected our choices for ARI
Campus, YouTube, the Ayn Rand University mobile app,
our journal New Ideal and the Ayn Rand Institute Live!
podcast. To varying degrees, we have sought to cater to
entry-level newcomers more effectively on each channel.
WHY FOCUS ON BEGINNERS?
The Objectivist movement has produced significantly
more content and programming for those already
familiar with Objectivism than it has for those who
are new to Ayn Rand and the value of her ideas.
In 2018, ARI prioritized making decades of this content,
including advanced courses given by Leonard Peikoff,
Harry Binswanger and other leading intellectuals,
available to everyone. That effort culminated this
year in the launch of the Ayn Rand University mobile
app, which allows users to download and listen to
courses any time, anywhere. During the same time,
the Objectivist Academic Center opened its doors
to auditors. It has never been easier for a motivated
student of Objectivism to pursue advanced education.
Given our successes in making advanced education
more accessible, we are sharpening our focus on
attracting new interest in Objectivism. For decades,
Ayn Rand’s novels have been the primary force driving
such new interest. We expect they will continue to
be. However, if we can successfully develop more
entry points into the philosophy—including content
meant to stimulate readership of Ayn Rand’s novels—
we can accelerate the spread of Objectivism.
Back to Table of ContentsBack to Table of Contents
12 AYN RAND INSTITUTE ANNUAL REPORT 2019 13
To date, more than 4.4 million books have been distributed
through this program, and we estimate that over 300,000
students are reading Ayn Rand every year, because you have
chosen to support ARI. If you would like to help ensure
that Ayn Rand’s novels remain a staple in classrooms
nationwide, please write to donorservices@aynrand.org
about sponsoring books for a classroom, city, county or
state.
ESSAY CONTESTS
For more than three decades, ARI’s essay contests have
encouraged high school students to read Ayn Rand’s novels
and think about the themes expressed in them. Over the
years, more than 400,000 students have submitted essays,
an encouraging sign that Ayn Rand’s works have become
fixtures in high school curricula across the nation.
Many teachers who participate in the Free Books to Teachers
program use the contest’s essay questions as models
for their own classroom assignments, and many whole
classrooms participate in the contests. This year’s winners
include students from Saint Cloud, Minnesota; Belmont,
Massachusetts; and Seoul, South Korea. Sizeable cash prizes
have been instrumental in keeping participation high.
CLASSROOM WEBINARS
Begun in 2019, ARI’s Classroom Webinars program
connects high school students with Objectivist intellectuals
for expert guidance in wrestling with some of the questions
that arise when reading Rand’s novels. These sessions have
been so well received by teachers and students that there are
always more questions from students than there is time to
answer them all.
I
f you want to make an ARI supporter smile, just ask
him to talk about his reaction when he first read
Ayn Rand.
The joy of that first encounter can spark a lifetime
commitment to reason—which is why encouraging
students to read Rand’s novels is a key part of ARI’s
strategy to promote a culture of reason.
Through its flagship Free Books to Teachers program, its
hugely popular essay contests, and its classroom webinars,
ARI introduces Ayn Rand’s life-changing ideas to hundreds
of thousands of students across the country every year.
FREE BOOKS TO TEACHERS
Our Free Books to Teachers program provides hundreds
of thousands of copies of Ayn Rand’s novels to high school
classrooms in all fifty states and Canada.
In 2019 alone, the Free Books to Teachers program delivered
more than 150,000 books. With your support, we hope to
expand that number to more than 250,000 during the next
school year. The interest from teachers is there but currently
exceeds our resources.
FREE BOOKS
PROGRAM LAUNCHED
in 2002–03 School Year
These three programs—Free Books to Teachers, Essay Contests and Classroom Webinars—
are demonstrably effective ways of encouraging students to read Ayn Rand’s novels, an
important first step toward developing a culture of reason. Because of donors like you, ARI’s
presence in high school classrooms encourages students to take first steps toward thinking
philosophically about their lives. We need to increase momentum and ensure we can have
even more impact in 2020. Thank you for your continued support.
150K+
FREE BOOKS
SHIPPED IN
THE 20182019
SCHOOL YEAR
600K+
BOOKS SHIPPED
IN THE LAST
3 SCHOOL YEARS
TEACHERS IN
ALL 50 STATES
RECEIVE
BOOKS
$5
AVERAGE COST
TO SEND
A BOOK TO
A TEACHER
INTRODUCING AYN RAND TO
STUDENTS NATIONWIDE
ALLTIME TOTAL:
4.4M+
BOOKS
DISTRIBUTED
ARI has shipped more than four million physical copies of Ayn Rand novels to teachers across the country. In 2020, ARI will distribute ebooks of
Rand’s novels to students for the first time.
AynRandConOrange County 2020
JANUARY 18, 2020
AynRandConSan Francisco 2020
JANUARY 25, 2020
AynRandConDallas 2020
FEBRUARY 29, 2020
AynRandCon–Europe 2020
FEBRUARY 1416, 2020
AynRandConPhiladelphia 2020
MARCH 14, 2020
789
741
Back to Table of ContentsBack to Table of Contents
ANNUAL REPORT 2019 1514 AYN RAND INSTITUTE
in
20209
in
20181
in
20194
AynRandCons
aynrandcon on thE road
BRINGING THE LIVE CONFERENCE EXPERIENCE
TO MORE PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD
W
hile it’s easier than ever before to find recorded
talks about Ayn Rand’s ideas online, there is
no substitute for attending a conference in person.
Particularly for newcomers to Objectivism, there is no
experience quite like meeting fellow admirers of Ayn Rand
for the first time and having the opportunity to interact
with ARI speakers, staff and Objectivist intellectuals.
ARI’s conferences provide more than a learning experience
for attendees. They offer a sense of community for individuals
who rarely meet like-minded others and an opportunity to
build a new community centered on shared rational values.
They provide the inspiration and the emotional fuel to
pursue a purposeful life.
In 2019, ARI began a significant expansion of its conference
offerings with new weekend conferences in Europe and Latin
America. In 2020, the number will continue to grow with a
series of at least five one-day AynRandCons, to take place in
cities across the United States.
aynrandcon–USa 2019
AynRandCon–USA 2019 was held October 25–27, 2019, in
Atlanta, Georgia. Its theme “Reason, Purpose, Self-Esteem:
Keys to a Better Life and Society” explored what Ayn Rand
considered the cardinal values of her ethics. And this year,
attendance grew by 8 percent to 128 attendees, despite the
new conferences abroad drawing past European and Latin
American attendees to events closer to home.
aynrandcon abroad In 2019
This year, for the first time, three weekend conferences took
place abroad, thanks to the efforts of Annie Vinther Sanz,
Ayn Rand Center Latin America CEO María Marty, and
Brazil’s Roberto Rachewsky, co-founder of the Atlantos
Institute and the Institute for Business Studies (IEE)—and
many local activists.
EUROPE
In February 2019, ARI held its first conference abroad in
Prague, Czech Republic. ARI had expected between 200 and
250, but activists spread the word so enthusiastically
across Europe, Israel and elsewhere that the final count
was 426 attendees, including many who had never read
Ayn Rand but who were interested in what they had heard.
The highly successful conference provided ample evidence
of the effect these events can have in introducing new people
to Objectivism. Maja Vrtaric organized buses to bring 173
individuals from her region of the Balkans to AynRandCon–
Europe, contributing to the high attendance at that event.
Serbia won the unofficial competition for the country with
the highest number in attendance.
The theme of the weekend conference was “Individualism in
an Age of Tribalism,” and many talks dealt with examples
of tribalism from the recent past of Eastern Europe—from
Balkanization to current nationalist movements.
LATIN AMERICA
María Marty and the Ayn Rand Center Latin America
organized a weekend AynRandCon event in Buenos Aires on
September 6–7. An audience of 250 heard talks and panels
on the conference theme: “Individualism vs. Collectivism”—
drawing on current events and historical themes of particular
concern to a Latin American audience.
A mini-conference tour followed, with additional talks by
ARI intellectuals in Buenos Aires as well as small events in
Paraguay, Chile and Brazil. In Paraguay and Chile, people
were doubly thrilled because it was the first time that
Objectivist intellectuals had visited their countries.
On September 13–14, AynRandCon–Brazil took place in
Porto Alegre, organized by Roberto Rachewsky. Its theme was
also “Individualism vs. Collectivism,” and it featured different
panels and local speakers alongside ARI intellectuals. There
were 290 in attendance.
Since the conferences, enthusiastic attendees continue
to contact ARI and enquire about working to spread
awareness of Ayn Rand in their countries. Nine attendees of
628
1600
1500
1400
1300
1200
1100
1000
900
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
AynRandCon–Brazil enrolled as auditors or graded students
in the Objectivist Academic Center (OAC). Most expressed the
desire to gain a deeper understanding of the philosophy to
promote it in their regions and career fields.
aynrandcon In 2020
In 2020, a new AynRandCon format will be introduced in
cities across the U.S. Events are currently planned for Orange
County, California; San Francisco; Dallas; Philadelphia and
Chicago. These one-day AynRandCons are expected to attract
many people who are new to Ayn Rand’s ideas, and to inspire
many to join us for OCON or AynRandCon–USA in 2020.
ARI is interested in scheduling more one-day conferences.
If you would like to help us bring an AynRandCon to your
region, please write to events@aynrand.org.
María Marty plans to offer AynRandCon–Latin America in
the fall of 2020, and ARI will host the second AynRandCon–
Europe on February 14–16, 2020, in Warsaw, Poland. To both
conferences, ARI expects many of last year’s attendees to
return with friends, and we are asking activists to spread the
word. Planning is underway for AynRandCon–USA 2020,
which will again take place in Atlanta, Georgia.
To support the expansion of Ayn Rand Conferences,
donors may contact donorservices@aynrand.org.
AynRandConChicago 2020
APRIL 18, 2020
Conference Attendance
FY 2017
1,547
FY 2016
Total Conference
Attendees by
Fiscal Year
FY 2018 FY 2019
S
ince 2003, ARI has welcomed anyone interested
in exploring Objectivism and applying it in their
own lives to attend our annual Objectivist summer
conference (OCON).
The event features talks, panels and workshops by leading
scholars on Ayn Rand’s philosophy. OCON attracts people
from around the world who come to learn, to grow, to be
inspired and to connect with like-minded attendees.
In 2020, ARI will seek to retain the spirit of OCON
while continuing to enhance the conference experience.
• In June, more than 450 Ayn Rand admirers met in
Cleveland, Ohio, for OCON 2019. The conference
featured five full days of programming to celebrate
the 50th anniversary of The Romantic Manifesto,
Rand’s statement of her philosophy of art. Of note
were many art-related talks and events devoted to
literature, music, sculpture and painting, as well as
live performances, that gave this year’s conference a
palpable emotional resonance. The emphasis on living
Objectivism—applying philosophical ideas in one’s daily
life, such as in guiding the selection and enjoyment of
art—was a development welcomed by attendees, and
one we will expand on in the future. The theme for
OCON 2020 is “Living a Life of Purpose.”
• Surveys in recent years have shown that OCON’s
many opportunities to socialize with other Ayn
Rand admirers is a key value to attendees, and
upcoming OCONs will focus even more on offering
high-quality social and professional networking and
community-building opportunities.
• At OCON, we’ve hosted panels featuring leading
thinkers in conversation with Objectivist intellectuals
on cultural-philosophical issues, exploring areas
of common ground and, especially, points of
philosophical disagreement. These special sessions
have been very popular, and they have the secondary
benefit of bringing attention to Ayn Rand’s ideas
beyond the conference. Live discussions between
Objectivist intellectuals and well-known thinkers,
such as Jordan Peterson, Flemming Rose and
Douglas Murray, have been broadcast from OCON
and other ARI events into the homes of hundreds of
thousands of first-time viewers of content about Ayn
Rand, brought in from our collaborators’ audiences.
At the last three OCONs, popular YouTube host
Dave Rubin served as moderator of some of these
discussions, broadcasting live on his YouTube
channel and generating many new listeners and
viewers from his subscriber base.
For everyone exploring Objectivism and its application
to one’s own life, OCON is the year’s “can’t-miss” event.
For newcomers curious about what Ayn Rand stands
for, how her ideas relate to today’s issues, what her
philosophy has to say about life’s big questions—we’ve
created the Ayn Rand Conference (AynRandCon).
The annual AynRandCon event, held over one weekend
in Atlanta, Georgia, offers newcomers a thought-
provoking introduction to key ideas and principles in
Ayn Rand’s philosophic system, its value as a guide
in one’s life and thought, and how it contrasts with
conventional ideas about meaning in life, morality,
society and politics. AynRandCon has served as a model
for new mini-conferences across the United States, in
Latin America and in Europe. (See pp. 14–15.)
Shorter than OCON, tailored to newcomers, and
involving less travel and expense, AynRandCon
events make it easier than ever before for people
to begin exploring Rand’s ideas.
ARI anticipates that each of its newcomer-oriented
conferences in 2020 will spark new interest and
contribute to the growth of attendance at OCON.
Here is what OCON 2019 attendees are saying
about their experience:
“
I had a very successful first OCON. I met or
exceeded all of the goals I set for myself and left
bursting with exuberance for the future. . . .
[T]hanks to ARI for arranging this life-affirming
conference and to the dazzling array of lecturers
who devoted their time and effort to educate and
inspire all of us. The lecturers were a treasure
trove of excellent life advice and enrichment in
the arts. . . . Wherever I am in the world and
however busy my life gets, I will always make
this conference a priority.
”
—Christopher Blakeslee
“
This was the greatest experience in my life. A lot
of people thought I’m exaggerating—I was not, I am
not. . . . The talks were great and deep, attendees
interesting, friendly, trustworthy. A lot of new
friendships. A lot of great conversations.
”
—Ziemowit Gowin
“
[T]his conference was awesome. My favorite
aspect was probably getting to meet so many
people who are mature, respectable, and
interesting. I’ve had many deep, philosophical,
and fun conversations throughout, and the social
aspect is probably the constant icing on the cake
when it comes to the event as a whole.
”
—Nick Rosado
JOIN US AT OCON 2020 IN AUSTIN, TEXAS!
OCON 2020 takes place June 17–21 in Austin, Texas, at the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center.
The conference theme and the subject of many of its talks and panels will be “Living a Life of Purpose.”
Registration is now open and discounted until
January 15! Visit: aynrand.org/ocon2020.
We hope to see you there!
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16 AYN RAND INSTITUTE ANNUAL REPORT 2019 17
OCON: LIVING OBJECTIVISM
OAC faculty and students at their graduation ceremony, held at Objectivist Summer Conference (OCON) 2019
AUDITORS IN THE 3YEAR PROGRAM
VS. 28 LAST YEAR
GRADED STUDENTS IN
THE 3YEAR PROGRAM
TOTAL PARTICIPANTS IN OAC, INCLUDING
ADVISING AND ADVANCED EDUCATIONAL
PROGRAMS
A
society’s trend-setters are its intellectuals.
For more than thirty years, ARI has been
training professional intellectuals—educators,
writers, lawyers and others who deal in ideas for a
living—as well as “intellectual professionals” such
as businessmen, financiers and doctors, whose work
requires them to apply philosophical principles.
ARI sees this training as essential to fostering a more
rational culture, and it’s simply not available anywhere else.
We started quickly on this path and have never stopped
improving our training program. Shortly after ARI was
founded in 1985, philosopher Harry Binswanger began
providing instruction to a small group of advanced
students via telephone seminars. These seminars evolved
into the Objectivist Graduate Center (OGC) in the early
1990s, providing advanced training in person.
As the Institute’s first staff philosopher, OGC graduate
Onkar Ghate went on to oversee that program’s
transformation into the Objectivist Academic Center
(OAC), beginning in 2000. The OAC began an expanded,
four-year program of study, targeting undergraduates
and offered by teleconference, which lead to a dramatic
increase in enrollment. Telephone seminars eventually
gave way to videoconferences, allowing students around
the world to share a virtual classroom experience.
Every current OAC faculty member was a student in
one of those predecessor programs, illustrating the
compounding effect of OGC and OAC training over
time. Not only Ghate but Ben Bayer, Elan Journo
and Keith Lockitch were trained through the OGC.
Gregory Salmieri received training through both the
OGC and OAC, and Aaron Smith attended the OAC.
The instruction they received was critical to their
development, and now they are training the instructors
of tomorrow. Similarly, many intellectuals outside of
ARI who write and speak about Objectivism, and apply
it in their professional fields, received training through
the OGC or OAC. At Objectivist Summer Conference
2019, more than 80 percent of the speakers (excluding
community-hour, lunch and social sessions) had
connections to these programs. These included general
session speakers Yaron Brook, Alex Epstein, Robert
Mayhew, Tara Smith, Tal Tsfany and Lisa VanDamme,
as well as OAC faculty speakers.
Objectivism cannot influence the future without trained
intellectuals who understand what the philosophy is and
how to apply it. As Onkar Ghate says in his letter on page
3, ARI is “playing the long game.” Donors who are serious
about spreading Objectivism, long term, have no better
option than to support the OAC.
THE OAC TODAY
Students in today’s OAC benefit from a three-year
course of study with a graded component for aspiring
intellectuals and an auditing option open to all (see below
for more details). The OAC has undergone modification
and refinement in its nearly twenty years of existence,
and not only because of technological advances. Keith
Lockitch, one of the OAC’s longest-serving faculty
members, described some of the past two decades’
changes. “The philosophy classes are always being
updated and modified,” he said. “It’s a constant process
of trying to identify not only what students need for a
firsthand grasp of Objectivism, but also how to help them
think philosophically about the world and the events
in it. For instance, one fairly recent development is that
the third-year philosophy classes focus on books and
articles by non-Objectivist intellectuals, with the goal of
analyzing and understanding their arguments. The idea
is that in order to be an intellectual, you need to engage
with viewpoints other than your own and to understand
today’s issues as they are being discussed and debated in
the culture by prominent intellectual figures.”
Another key part of ARI’s intellectual development
strategy focuses on supplemental training for OAC
students pursuing careers in academia. The OAC
Advising Program pairs experienced professors with
advanced graduate students and new academic
professionals in the same field for ongoing career
mentorship. Current mentor-professors include Edwin A.
Locke, Shoshana Milgram, Gregory Salmieri, Tara Smith,
Dale Stevens and Darryl Wright. In addition, the OAC’s
Advanced Educational Program offers specialized courses
to help students develop their ability to apply Objectivism
in their field of expertise.
THE OAC CURRICULUM
YEAR 1 Seminar in Objectivism, co-taught by Ben
Bayer, Onkar Ghate, and Aaron Smith
YEAR 2 Philosophy: Fundamental Questions, co-taught
by Ben Bayer, Onkar Ghate, Gregory Salmieri,
and Aaron Smith
YEAR 2 Writing, taught by Keith Lockitch
YEAR 3 Philosophical Analysis and Communication,
co-taught by Ben Bayer, Elan Journo, Keith
Lockitch, Onkar Ghate, Gregory Salmieri, and
Aaron Smith
ADVANCED EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM:
Contemporary Normative Ethics Reading Group, led by
Gregory Salmieri
201920 OAC PARTICIPANTS
FROM OR LIVING IN: Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria,
Canada, Czech Republic, Dubai, France, Germany, Greece,
Guatemala, India, Israel, Lebanon, Mexico, Netherlands,
Poland, Russia, South Korea, Ukraine, United Kingdom,
United States, Venezuela, Norway
IN FIELDS INCLUDING: Philosophy, political science,
law, psychology/neuroscience, education, physical sciences/
math/engineering, art/literature, life sciences/medicine,
computer science/information technology, government/
public policy, journalism/communication, economics/finance
IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO JOIN
THE 201920 OAC PROGRAM!
The 2019–20 OAC began in late September, but it’s not
too late to join in on the action! Auditors are welcome
to join the OAC until January 5. New auditors can
immediately begin participating in live classes and gain
access to all content previously released.
Auditors are not graded or expected to complete writing
assignments, but otherwise they receive the same
educational experience as graded students. This includes
the ability to participate in live class discussions and in the
OAC’s online discussion forum, and to meet one-on-one
with OAC faculty during their weekly office hours.
For details, visit bit.ly/auditOAC.
51
50
107
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18 AYN RAND INSTITUTE ANNUAL REPORT 2019 19
TRAINING FUTURE OBJECTIVIST INTELLECTUALS
“
The intellectual carries the application of philosophical principles to every field of human
endeavor. He sets a society’s course by transmitting ideas from the ‘ivory tower’ of the
philosopher to the university professor—to the writer—to the artist—to the newspaperman—
to the politician—to the movie maker—to the night-club singer—to the man in the street.
”
—Ayn Rand, “For the New Intellectual,” For the New Intellectual
Objectivist Academic Center
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20 AYN RAND INSTITUTE ANNUAL REPORT 2019 21
Free Books Recipient
Victoria Guerrero
Describe’s Anthem’s
Influence
“
I would like to start by saying thank-you to Tal
and to the board of directors of the Ayn Rand Institute
for allowing me to speak on behalf of millions of
students; it is a true honor to be here. I’d also like to
thank each and every guest for attending this evening’s
celebration of Ayn Rand’s philosophy.
I was introduced to Ayn Rand in my senior year
of high school by my English teacher, Mr. Robert
Schimenz. Little did I know that what seemed like a
simple reading assignment would lead to an epiphany.
Reading Anthem made me realize how obedient I was
becoming in this society that was ultimately destroying
my greatest virtue, my independent and rational mind.
I, like Equality 7-2521, was born with an inquisitive
mind and that was almost taken from me. In grade
school, I was trained to sit quietly and pay attention
until everyone else had caught up. I was told not to
ask too many questions or make statements that
were incomprehensible to my fellow classmates—I was
protecting the value of man’s ego.
I still clearly remember the first time I opened the
book and read: ‘It is a sin to write this. It is a sin to
think words no others think and to put them down
upon a paper no others are to see.’ I was instantly
intrigued and quickly flipped through the pages where
I discovered the repetitive use of the words ‘we’ and
‘our’ where ‘I’ and “mine” should’ve been placed. I
was struck by Rand’s ability to capture this dystopian
collective society with the corruption of language.
In class, we discussed this striking feature and how
the destruction of singular pronouns emphasizes the
power of language. I understood then that language
was more than just words used to communicate
but a device we use in grasping the world and our
thoughts—and, when manipulated, can be used to
control one’s thoughts.
I will forever remember the joy I felt when Equality
7-2521 discovers the word ‘I,’ as in ‘I am. I think.
I will (95).’ That is when I finally understood the
importance of individualism. It’s not the ability to play
an assigned role in a collective society but the ability to
be concerned with one’s own interest; to pursue your
own happiness as the highest moral aim; to trade value
for value, not sacrifice yourself for a collective goal. It is
having an independent, rational, and inquisitive mind.
This central theme of individualism, which is
celebrated throughout Anthem, is what truly changed
me and has left a lifelong impression on me. It
rekindled the burning desire I had for knowledge. It
reshaped me into the independent, rational thinker,
and lifelong learner that I was meant to be.
Rand’s work encouraged me to pursue a career in
advertising and marketing communication with a
minor in American politics. I analyze exchange of
value and the power language has on an individual in
both the business sector and in American politics—
and for that I am forever thankful. I would not be the
person I am today without Ayn Rand’s philosophy, the
Ayn Rand Institute, and of course, my former teacher
and mentor, Mr. Robert Schimenz.
Thank you.
”
“
I would not be the person I am
today without Ayn Rand’s philosophy,
the Ayn Rand Institute, and of course,
my former teacher and mentor,
Mr. Robert Schimenz.
”
“
Little did I know that what seemed
like a simple reading assignment
would lead to an epiphany.
”
O
n September 25, the 11th Annual
Ayn Rand Institute Gala in New York
City welcomed an inspiring guest speaker.
Victoria Guerrero is the former student
of Robert Schimenz, an English teacher
and participant in ARI’s Free Books to
Teachers program. Guerrero studied Ayn
Rand’s Anthem in Schimenz’s class, and
she credits the novella
with making a lifelong
impression on her and
with encouraging her
in her choice of a career.
Victoria’s prepared
remarks are reprinted
here. A video of the
speech is available at
youtu.be/Yq5RJGTU2cw.
Philosopher Andrew Bernstein introduces Victoria Guerrero and her former teacher Robert Schimenz, at the 11th Annual Ayn Rand Institute Gala
I
n the preceding pages, you have
read about our work and our
results in 2019, as well as our plans
and expectations for the future.
You have read about the ways ARI is working to become
a better launching pad for those willing and capable
of achieving a deep understanding of Objectivism and
advancing its influence in the world.
So, what is the best way to leverage what we have
learned and improve upon what we have built, to bring
more new people to Ayn Rand’s ideas? Attempting to
and the opportunity to forge relationships with like-
minded attendees make any conference an impactful
experience. In 2020, we will build on the success of
2019’s weekend AynRandCons and extend our live event
experience to cities across the U.S. with one-day regional
AynRandCons. If you are interested in bringing an
AynRandCon to your region, or in helping ARI to make
already planned AynRandCons successful, consider
targeting donations to this purpose.
Community Support. The power of social networks
to transmit philosophical ideas has yet to be taken
advantage of fully by ARI. According to polls we have
taken, most people first encounter Objectivism by word
of mouth. It is instructive to note that only about 50
percent of attendees of 2019’s AynRandCon–Europe
had read Ayn Rand, and that half of the attendees came
on the recommendation of a trusted friend. To spread
Objectivism at an accelerated pace, ARI will explore new
ways to foster a more attractive Objectivist community—
one to which friends can bring unfamiliar friends for a
meaningful first encounter with Ayn Rand.
make Objectivism more of a cultural force has meant
looking closely at today’s marketplace of ideas and
at the technologies that distribute them. In the last
two years, we have significantly improved our ability
to use marketing tools to generate and then satisfy
demand for education in Objectivism. We have solved
the logistical challenges—the how—of dramatically
increasing our output of quality content, its viewership,
and the number of subscribers who will receive future
content as it is released. As we developed our plans for
2020, we refined our answers to two related questions:
who are our ideal target audiences? And what content
and program offerings require a special focus in 2020?
SUPPORT THESE EFFORTS
To all of ARI’s plans, donor support is key. Without you,
Objectivism is an original system of true and potentially
transformative ideas, awaiting full manifestation in the
future. With you, we can fight for it today.
There are many ways for someone committed to
Ayn Rand’s ideas to join the battle—by starting a club,
writing a letter to the editor, hosting a podcast, or
creating a lecture series. But investing in ARI is a
high-leverage way to do all of the above and more.
By continuing to support the Institute, you accelerate
our progress toward a second Renaissance.
“
In-person events are consistently
the most meaningful and inspiring
experiences new students of
Objectivism have—second only
to reading Ayn Rand.
”
WHO ARE WE TARGETING?
ARI will continue to target audiences it has always targeted—in particular, students
and young adults. Yet technology now enables us to target more precisely,
directing our resources to those most likely to be receptive. This year,
we defined several vital attributes shared among the people we are
most eager to reach.
We are primarily targeting the “valuer” mentality—the idealist
who takes himself and his values seriously, and who acts on
his ideas. This person may be above average intelligence—but
more important, he values his intelligence. He finds excitement
and pleasure in integration, clarity and precision. He wants
things to “add up” and “make sense.” He is independent
in his thinking, suspicious of conventional wisdom,
and he values knowing what is true above other
considerations. He finds confrontations with
new ideas intriguing, not scary, and he welcomes
challenges to his basic premises.
From this abstract characterization, we began to
more narrowly define “personas,” or common
profiles, that broadly fit within it. Examples
of the personas we developed include “The
Philosopher,” “The Moralist,” “The Engineer-
Entrepreneur” and “The Businessman.”
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22 AYN RAND INSTITUTE ANNUAL REPORT 2019 23
These personas differ in their values and their initial
motivations for exploring Objectivism. Those differences
have significance for the ways in which ARI advertises.
By creating a greater fit between audiences and messages,
we can increase the effectiveness of the advertising while
decreasing its costs.
WHAT ARE WE OFFERING?
Ayn Rand Novels. Whether as a first encounter or
for a deep understanding of Objectivism, Ayn Rand’s
novels are indispensable. ARI will continue to prioritize
promoting the novels. Teacher demand for the Free
Books to Teachers program now far exceeds our ability
to fulfill. With increased donor support, we can increase
the number of young people reading Rand novels by
hundreds of thousands each year.
Introductory Content. In 2019, we promoted a
considerable volume of new content about Objectivism—
content that is introductory yet deep, cognizant of
the context of a newcomer, does not presume prior
knowledge of Objectivism, and that supports a gradual
learning path. Yet our catalog of quality intermediate
and advanced content remains much greater than that
of our introductory content. In 2020, we will continue to
develop content that attracts new audiences and draws
them into an interest in Objectivism—such as ARI’s
weekly webinar series, Philosophy for Living on Earth. With
your support, ARI will produce and distribute more
video series with influential interviewers such as Dave
Rubin and Gloria Álvarez. Resources permitting, we will
also expand upon the soon-to-be-released series This Is
Ayn Rand Speaking.
Live Event Experiences. According to feedback
ARI receives after each conference, in-person events
are consistently the most meaningful and inspiring
experiences new students of Objectivism have—second
only to reading Ayn Rand. Quality talks and panels,
face-to-face interaction with Objectivist intellectuals,
THE 2020 VISION
How ARI Will Advance Your Values in the Year Ahead
“
By creating a greater fit between
audiences and messages, we can increase
the effectiveness of the advertising
while decreasing its costs.
”
WHY I INVEST IN ARI
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24 AYN RAND INSTITUTE ANNUAL REPORT 2019 25
“
I support ARI primarily from the standpoint of justice—because of all of
the values I derived from Ayn Rand’s ideas and from the work of subsequent
intellectuals like Dr. Leonard Peikoff and Dr. Harry Binswanger, whose content
from the ARI eStore I downloaded and consumed. Those materials have helped
me become much more clear-headed in evaluating myself and other people, and
allowed me to take actions (or not take actions) for the benefit of my life. So, after
I sold my business, I decided, as an act of justice, that I wanted to pay back.
This, for me, is a valid use of the term ‘pay back’—to give back
to those from whom I benefited, to give back to Ayn Rand.
Unfortunately, she’s not around, but her legacy is. So, it made
sense for me to support her legacy—again, from the standpoint
of justice.
”
BINH DANG
“
I think ARI’s outreach to young people is what
personally interests me. I’ve done a lot of speaking on
university campuses over the years, trying to reach
young people, because young people are more interested
in ideas. When people get older, they tend to have
already decided, and it’s harder to get them interested. I
think ARI’s outreach to young people is very important,
because the ideas that are prevalent in our universities
today are very scary to me. There are strong movements
against things that are fundamental to a free society,
like freedom of speech, and I don’t think anybody can
defend these principles better than Ayn Rand.
”
JOHN ALLISON
“
I think ARI’s investment in intellectuals—
through the OAC, the Anthem Foundation
and other programs such as the Intellectuals
Network—is really a key part of ARI’s portfolio
that I support and that I think should be
expanded. I think concentrating on the top-
tier intellectuals, allowing them to thrive, to
publish and be part of the public discourse
on so many issues in which Ayn Rand has an
important voice, needs to be supported.
”
DR. AMESH ADALJA
“
I believe life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is the most important
thing for our country to stand for. I think America’s success in leading the
world—and I think we are leaders despite the myriad issues—is important.
I want to keep supporting this philosophy and ARI, because the
freedom it advocates truly leads to improving all of our lives—the great
technological innovations, from science to application in business.
I think Tal has done an amazing job of marketing this in a more business-
like way, with measurable outcomes, and figuring out, How do we get to
the most people, with the most penetration, and the most improvement?
I think the other big thing ARI is doing is to go to college campuses and
try to establish a foothold for this philosophy—to make sure it’s an option
on campuses.
”
DR. MICHAEL KAUFFMAN
“
One word comes to mind: benevolence. I have seen
over the years an enormous outreach to people who
don’t share our ideas, who are shackled by altruism, by
selflessness. There is an alternative. When I hear talk
about reaching students, having student conferences, I
think that’s phenomenal. I think reaching out globally
is phenomenal, because you never know where the next
Dr. Peikoff or Yaron Brook will come from. ARI has
been my lifeline. If I didn’t have ARI in my life, and all
I saw as morality were churches and temples, which I
dismissed as a really young kid, I mean, what is there? I
would have to create my own mongrel morality, which
would probably be tortured by altruism.
”
DR. ELLEN KENNER
“
I am interested in seeing the world made
a better place. Why wouldn’t I want to live
in a better world? My view is that the more
Objectivism influences the culture, the more
rational, cheerful, full of art, and full of great
people doing wonderful things it will be—and
I’d like to help move that forward. My choice is
either to go and become an intellectual myself,
or to support those who have made that as
their career.
”
ANDREW LAYMAN
John Allison
Executive-in-Residence at the
Wake Forest School of Business
and member of the Cato Institute’s
Board of Directors
Tim Blum
Executive Vice President, HSA
Commercial Real Estate in Chicago
Yaron Brook
Chairman of the Board of Directors
of the Ayn Rand Institute
Jim Brown
Former CEO of ARI
Lars Seier Christensen
Co-Founder of Saxo Bank,
a Danish investment bank, and
founder of Seier Capital, an
investment fund
Tara Smith
Professor of philosophy at
University of Texas at Austin
Tal Tsfany
President and CEO of ARI
Ben Bayer, Instructor and Fellow
David Birnbaum, Marketing Project Manager
Tom Bowden, Research Fellow
Colin Campbell, Video Production Specialist
Kathy Cross, Senior Legacy Giving Manager
Marilee Dahl, Director of Student Outreach
Adam Edmonsond, Director of Marketing
Simon Federman, Graphic Design Specialist
Onkar Ghate, Chief Philosophy Officer and
Senior Fellow
David Gulbraa, Donor Services Specialist
Ayesha Ilyas, IT Project Coordinator
Jeff Janicke, Business Operations Coordinator
Elan Journo, Director and Senior Fellow
Krissy Keys, Business Operations Manager
Duane Knight, Development
Account Manager
Keith Lockitch, Vice President of Content
and Senior Fellow
Stewart Margolis, Development
Account Manager
Jennifer Miguel, Social Media Specialist
Jennifer Minjarez, Event Marketing
Coordinator
Zane Mitchell, Data Analyst
Donna Montrezza, Copy Editor
Matthew Morgen, Development Manager
Alex Prisc, Content Writer
Lucy Rose, Director of Content Production
Gregory Salmieri, Adjunct Instructor
Jeff Scialabba, Intellectual Development
Programs Manager
Anu Seppala, Director of Cultural Outreach
Carla Silk, Vice President of Fundraising
Aaron Smith, Instructor and Fellow
Paul Taske, Junior Fellow
Maria Torre, Controller
Tal Tsfany, President and Chief
Executive Officer
Agustina Vergara Cid, Junior Fellow
Glenn Villapando, Staff Accountant
Alex Wigger, Content Production Coordinator
Jenniffer Woodson, Archivist
Peter LePort
Active surgeon and founder of
LePort Schools
ARI STAFF AND ASSOCIATES
WAYS YOU CAN SUPPORT
OUR MISSION
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ANNUAL REPORT 2019 2726 AYN RAND INSTITUTE
ARI BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Larry Salzman
Attorney with Pacific Legal
Foundation and adjunct
professor at Chapman University’s
Fowler School of Law
Robert Mayhew
Professor of philosophy at
Seton Hall University
Onkar Ghate
Chief Philosophy Officer and
Senior Fellow at ARI. He is the
Institute’s resident expert on
Objectivism.
Harry Binswanger
Philosophy professor and associate
of the late Ayn Rand
BECOME A MEMBER
ANTHEM
$10 / Monthly
Member Annual Impact
• 2 OAC Student Class Materials, or
• 24 Books for Teachers
THE FOUNTAINHEAD
$100 / Monthly
Member Annual Impact
• 1 OAC Student Scholarship for OCON, or
• 2 Student Scholarships for Ayn Rand
Student Conference, or
• 240 Books for Teachers
WE THE LIVING
$50 / Monthly
Member Annual Impact
• 10 OAC Student Class Materials, or
• 1 Student Scholarship for
Ayn Rand Conference, or
• 120 Books for Teachers
ATLAS SHRUGGED
$250 / Monthly
Member Annual Impact
• Semester OAC Student Tuition, or
• 5 Student Scholarships for Ayn Rand
Student Conference, or
• 600 Books for Teachers
Anyone who fights for the future, lives in it today.
—Ayn Rand
OTHER WAYS TO DONATE:
$ AmazonSmile $ Atlantis Legacy Planned Giving $ Bitcoin $ Cash $ Charitable IRA Rollover
$ Company Matching $ Non-Cash Gifts $ Referrals $ Stocks/Securities
Learn more and contribute at aynrand.org/donate.
Learn more and sign up at aynrand.org/membership.
THE AYN RAND INSTITUTE: THE CENTER FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF OBJECTIVISM
FISCAL YEAR 2019 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS OCTOBER 1, 2018SEPTEMBER 30, 2019*
(IN THOUSANDS)
ASSETS
Current Assets
$ 2,182
Long-Term Assets
4,889
TOTAL ASSETS
$ 7,071
LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS
Current Liabilities
$ 2,470
Long-Term Liabilities
2,16 1
Net Assets
2,440
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS
$ 7,071
REVENUES
Contributions
$ 7,070
Program revenues
538
Investment returns and other revenues
5
TOTAL REVENUES
$ 7,613
EXPENSES
Educational programs
$ 2,540
Outreach
2,526
Other
902
Total Program Services
5,9 6 8
Fundraising
1,621
Management and general
775
TOTAL EXPENSES
$ 8,364
Change in Net Assets
$ (751
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION
As of September 30, 2019
STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES
Year Ended September 30, 2019
* The financial statements reflected represent preliminary figures only. Full statements will be available in 2020 at aynrand.org/donate.
REVENUES EXPENSES
Contribution
Revenues
95%
Fundraising
19%
Management
and General
10%
Program
Services
71%
)
Program
Revenues
4%
Investment Returns
and Other Revenues
1%
6 Hutton Centre Drive, Suite 600
Santa Ana, CA 92707
949.222.6550
aynrand.org
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28 AYN RAND INSTITUTE
