Jessica Pressler provided the second mentioning of Ayn Rand, in her long-titled article What Does it Take For a Female Tycoon to Get Noticed Around Here? , which she contributed to New York magazine's issue on the post-crash Wall Street. It profiles Patriarch Partners' CEO Lynn Tilton and, according to the author, this is how the powerhouse of private equity investment sees herself: as "an Ayn Rand heroine in six-inch heels."
Rightfully so. This woman is not simply concerned with the state of American capitalism and the future that awaits us ("…I believe that there will… be violence in the streets in America," she says. "And I think the only thing we can do to stop it is by creating employment."), but she is actually doing something about it – working very hard on trying to rebuild American manufacturing. Moreover, she is doing that without any regard for the conventions of the phony propriety that has saturated our existence.
Lynn Tilton destroys the stereotype of a "powerful man" as a world-savior. A true standard-buster, just like Ayn Rand wanted women to be, she does not make herself look like the androgynous creatures in buttoned-down suits who are allowed to enter "little boys" clubs from time to time. She does not let herself to fit into the designated for business tycoons box either. She refuses to hide her wealth into over-priced art rubbish other billionaires stash in their unseen drawing rooms. Her conspicuous consumption is honest, because that should not define her. It has nothing to do with her achievements.
It is incredibly important to me that Ms. Tilton's business focus lies in the same field as mine does: the proverbial backbone of the US economy – small and midsize companies. And it makes the refusal of others to look beyond the outfits, the hair, the jewelry, the mannerism, far more painful. Once again I am exposed to the violation of my personal absolute truth – MERIT.
Why can't people break out of their constricted mentalities?
At art fund raising minglings, when I dissect a movie or a play, impressed people, who are paid to be in the know of those things, inevitably ask what I do for living. I just love seeing their faces when I say, "Accounting and finance." You see, number-crunchers are not expected to understand the high art. It does not matter that I know more about it than they do. On the other hand, when I was entering Economics PhD program, my wild jewfro was diminishing my scientific credibility, even though I came with 50% of my research and modeling already completed.
Always those fucking labels, those stupid boxes.
I can easily visualize Lynn Tilton going to Harry Winston or Van Cleef & Arpels for some fabulous $250,000 necklace and people in attendance there thinking that she is some mogul's wife. She must relish the opportunity to tell them, "I am the mogul, bitches!"
It's too bad that Ms. Tilton deals only in private equity acquisitions of distressed businesses and does not diversify into venture capital start-up investments. I am developing a product right now that has a great potential of contributing into survival of smaller companies and complementing her quest for preserving the true capitalism. I think we would get along handsomely. We both know that it's what's inside your head that counts. She is having trouble getting the respect she deserves, because we lost our meritocracy to "club membership" long time ago.
The Frustrated CFO 