I think it's also a libertarian type of view that appeals to technocrats and nerds. The focus on logic, individualism and meritocracy is something that appeals

I think it's also a libertarian type of view that appeals to technocrats and nerds. The focus on logic, individualism and meritocracy is something that appeals to a lot of the more nerdy among us. I personally find Ayn Rand too simplistic and from a literary point of view hardly readable but I think she's definitely an important part of American culture but I think at this point she's not as widely read as 20 or 30 years ago.