"Nearly Perfect in Its Immorality"?-Ayn Rand and Business Ethics

In the wake of the economic crisis and with the rise of the Tea Party Movement in the United States, Ayn Rand's (1905-1982) novels have been (re-)discovered by a large readership. Advocating a stark individualism and laissez-faire capitalism, Rand's opus magnum Atlas Shrugged (1957) resonates with many Americans' fears that their country may resemble more and more the dystopian world shown in the novel. Her work has likewise captured the imagination of entrepreneurs and managers like Jimmy Wales (Wikipedia.org) and John Allison (formerly with BB&T) who describe her ideas as a source of inspiration and guidance. It is thus hardly surprising that the implications of Rand's legacy likewise concern scholars in management studies. But what does Rand actually teach these managers and other readers? What are the ethical implications of her work, for the business world and beyond? Does Gore Vidal's verdict hold that Rand's school of thought is "nearly perfect in its immorality"?