Ayn Rand famously wrote: “Throughout the centuries there were men who took first steps down new roads armed with nothing but their own vision.” Such visionary men were often entrepreneurs who created massive wealth and benefits that we all enjoy.
The mission of XPRIZE is to bring about “radical breakthroughs for the benefit of humanity” through incentivized competition. It fosters high-profile competitions to motivate individuals, companies, and organizations across all disciplines to develop innovative ideas and technologies that help solve the world’s great challenges. “Solutions can come from anyone, anywhere on the planet; engineers, scientists, garage tinkerers, entrepreneurs, innovators, citizen scientists and high school students have embraced the spirit of competition, won millions of dollars in prize purses and helped shape a better future for all.”
The Chairman of XPRIZE is Peter Diamandis, a true visionary and an entrepreneur squared. I mentioned Atlas Shrugged to Peter and he brightened up and said, “I love that book and I reread it frequently.” In that vein, he enthusiastically told me about XPRIZE and its Vision Circle—and invited me to participate. So, this year I have joined the XPRIZE Vision Circle and I’m pleased and proud to join some of the greatest entrepreneurs and innovators the world has ever known. This XPRIZE organization has magnificent purposes and I believe it is exactly the kind of thing that would appeal to Ayn Rand.
Carl B. Barney
January 31, 2023