Gail Wynand

Gail Wynand is an important male character in the Ayn Rand book, "the Fountainhead". He was a man with a genius mind and a steely determination. He taught himself to read and write. At the age of thirteen he decided to go to school, but quitted after two months because it was too easy for him. He started from the bottom and achieved enormous success in the publication business, in a short amount of time.

Unlike the leading role---Howard Roark, whose top value lay in the dignity and excellence of his own professional creativity, Wynand had no respect for the sphere of publication whatsoever. He did not care about the content or taste of his paper, so long as it satisfied the vulgar curiosity and indulgence of the readers. The peer reviews, which denounced his paper for being indecent and crude, had practically no influence on him. Because what he wanted was not to be revered for his professional genius, but the absolute power over others. As a child from a humble stock, he grew up being despised and bullied. The one thing that he lacked the most, and yearned for the most, was other's respect for him. When he was building his business empire, his only concern was to make it grow bigger and bigger, regardless of what ugly means had to be used. After he did make a fortune, he took pleasure in manipulating and twisting, if not destroying other people, using money. Only through this could he experience the exultant sentiment of vengeance. Nothing else could give him this level of animation and gratification. Since then, his life had been about finding the next target to destroy; the stronger and more competent the opponent, the more wildly excited he got. This time, he found two extraordinary targets, one of them being himself.