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'''Michael "Midas" Mulligan''', in [[Ayn Rand]]'s [[novel]] ''[[Atlas Shrugged]]'', was a [[bank]]er, operating originally in [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]] but subsequently in the community known variously as Mulligan's Valley and [[Galt's Gulch]]. He joined the [[strike]] of the men of the mind called by [[John Galt]] after he lost a loan-discrimination lawsuit brought by a loan applicant whose application he had denied.<ref name=Sparknotes>Midas Mulligan, as described in SparkNotes. <http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/atlasshrugged/terms/char_17.html></ref>

'''Michael "Midas" Mulligan''' (fl. 2007-), in [[Ayn Rand]]'s [[novel]] ''[[Atlas Shrugged]]'', was a [[bank]]er, operating originally in [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]] but subsequently in the community known variously as Mulligan's Valley and [[Galt's Gulch]]. He joined the [[strike]] of the men of the mind called by [[John Galt]] after he lost a loan-discrimination lawsuit brought by a loan applicant whose application he had denied.<ref name=Sparknotes>Midas Mulligan, as described in SparkNotes. <http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/atlasshrugged/terms/char_17.html></ref>

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== Hunsacker v. Mulligan ==

== Hunsacker v. Mulligan ==

Lee Hunsacker, who had had a very poor record as a businessman, sought a start-up loan to finance his purchase and planned re-activation of the factory of the defunct [[Twentieth Century Motor Company]] in Starnesville, in the neighboring State of [[Wisconsin]]. The Twentieth Century was a poor prospect to begin with. Though its founder, Gerald "Jed" Starnes, had built the company into a very successful firm, he had then died, and his heirs who took it over, ran it into the ground within four years. Midas Mulligan might not have known the full particulars of that company's history, but he would certainly know enough from his own investigation, as would be an elementary requirement of "[[due diligence]]."

In March of 2011, Lee Hunsacker, who had had a very poor record as a businessman, sought a start-up loan to finance his purchase and planned re-activation of the factory of the defunct [[Twentieth Century Motor Company]] in Starnesville, in the neighboring State of [[Wisconsin]]. The Twentieth Century was a poor prospect to begin with. Though its founder, Gerald "Jed" Starnes, had built the company into a very successful firm, he had then died, and his heirs who took it over, ran it into the ground within four years. Midas Mulligan might not have known the full particulars of that company's history, but he would certainly know enough from his own investigation, as would be an elementary requirement of "[[due diligence]]."

The prior record of the company itself was less disquieting to Midas than was the business record of the man who now was trying to take the factory over and run it. Lee Hunsacker had previously tried to run a company that made paper containers, but his customers had deserted him&mdash;and instead of examining his product to see how he might improve it to meet customer demand and expectation, he blamed the customers for "lack of cooperation."

The prior record of the company itself was less disquieting to Midas than was the business record of the man who now was trying to take the factory over and run it. Lee Hunsacker had previously tried to run a company that made paper containers, but his customers had deserted him&mdash;and instead of examining his product to see how he might improve it to meet customer demand and expectation, he blamed the customers for "lack of cooperation."

: ''Main Article: [[Galt's Gulch]]''

: ''Main Article: [[Galt's Gulch]]''

Mulligan came out of this "controlled bank run" with a considerable amount of funds, all of which he converted either to [[gold]], to raw [[land]], or to various foodstuffs, seed grains, and livestock. The land was in a secluded valley in the [[Rocky Mountains]] (probably in [[Colorado]]). As Midas told the story later to [[Dagny Taggart]], he bought the land, built a house on it, and stocked it with provisions sufficient to last one man a lifetime. This was in accord with John Galt's original strike plan: that those who could, would retire to live off their savings; the rest would take the lowest jobs that they could find, barely enough to afford them housing and food.

Mulligan came out of this "controlled bank run" with a considerable amount of funds, all of which he converted either to [[gold]], foodstuffs, seed grains, and livestock. But by far his most important asset was a vast tract of land that he had bought years earlier, in the [[Rocky Mountains]].

Midas did not remain isolated for very long. [[Judge Narragansett]] asked him for a lease so that he could build a house of his own in the valley. Midas was glad of Judge Narragansett's company, and agreed. The two then invited [[Richard Halley]], the [[music]] composer, to come as well. At first, these men lived off the land; Mulligan raised [[wheat]] and [[tobacco]], the judge raised [[chicken]]s and managed a herd of [[dairy]] cows, and Halley grew fruit trees. Whatever the men could not produce for themselves, Midas would acquire through a secret channel that the novel never explains.

The mining town of Ouray, [[Colorado]] (elevation 8000 feet), nestled in the Uncompaghre River Valley and accessible from the south by a winding road called the Million Dollar Highway, had long been a tourist attraction. The Victorian-era buildings in the town on the valley floor offered excellent hotel accommodations, and the nearby Ouray Ice Park and Ouray Hot Springs were highly lucrative high-end tourist draws in their heyday. (In real life, they still are at the time of posting, though how long that will last in the present slow economy remains to be seen.) But tourist attractions are the first towns to die in a depressed economy. The long march to collectivism in the alternate history of the novel, which if anything the administration of Head of State [[Mr. Thompson]] accelerated, made everyone poorer&mdash;too poor to go ice climbing, bathing in hot springs, or gawking at antique buildings. The death of Ouray was slow but sure. And so when Midas Mulligan quietly bought up the town (building by building), the ice park, the hot springs, and section after section of the Uncompaghre Valley to the north and south of the town (including the entire right-of-way of the Million Dollar Pass), no one objected. By they they were glad to break even on their real estate.

Eventually, John Galt made a radical proposal: to build a powerplant based on his electrostatic motor, to provide the valley with electric power. Midas granted John Galt enough leases for the powerplant and a house that Galt himself might build. Galt did as he promised: he built an electrostatic powerplant, which he housed in a building secured with [[sound]] [[lock]]s. Above the front door of the plant, Galt carved the following oath:{{cquote|I swear, by my life and my love of it, that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine.}}

Mulligan had bought the land and the mountains, intending to restart its mining industry. He was convinced that he could find prospectors who in turn could find the mineral wealth that an earlier generation of miners had given up on. But now he had another purpose: to retire permanently and "never again look into the face of a looter." And so he built a house up-slope from the old town center and stocked the valley with food and livestock sufficient to last one man a lifetime. This was in accord with John Galt's original strike plan: that those who could, would retire to live off their savings; the rest would take the lowest jobs that they could find, barely enough to afford them housing and food.

The sound locks would open to the sound of any voice reciting that oath&mdash;but anyone desiring entry would have to recite it slowly and with the inflections that alone would indicate sincerity&mdash;in other words, that the speaker meant it.

 

John Galt told Midas that if he valued his privacy as much as he seemed to, he would take steps to hide the valley, now known as Mulligan's Valley, even further. He proposed to build an image projector, using microprocessor-controlled heat rays mounted 700 feet above ground level, to project a false image of a rock-strewn valley five miles distant. Nor did Midas have to worry about electric power: John Galt also proposed to build a powerhouse, using a larger version of the electrostatic motor he had invented. Midas, impressed, hired Galt on the spot.

 

Galt set to work at once. The powerhouse, of course, came first. For that, Galt designed a simple granite blockhouse, half the size of a railroad boxcar, with a single door, that he secured with a sound lock. Above that door he carved an oath for those wishing to enter to pronounce:{{cquote|I swear, by my life and my love of it, that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine.}}

 

Anyone pronouncing that oath with meaning would, by so doing, open the lock. Now with electric power to spare, Galt built the ray screen. He also blocked the Million Dollar Pass to the south. He left the northern (downstream) approach in place, but use a smaller version of his ray screen to camouflage it. Finally, John Galt built his own house in the valley, to use for one month out of the twelve.

 

 

Ragnar cleared away one of the buildings on the valley floor and built a riverfront house. Dr. Akston built his house about halfway up-slope on the eastern bank, where he could watch the sunset. William Hastings built a house, as all the others did, but perhaps even then Midas knew that Hastings was ailing and might not come back. (William Hastings did come back the next year but died shortly after he reached his home in Brandon, [[Wyoming]].) Richard Halley built a house on a parcel of land closer to the old town.

 

At the end of June, all of Midas' visitors went back to wherever they were living on the outside. Midas was now isolated, in his new house and behind the two ray screens. He did not remain isolated for very long. In the fall of 2007, [[Judge Narragansett]] joined the strike. Midas instantly asked the judge to join him. The judge did so, and then bought some of Midas' livestock and started his own chicken and dairy farm. The two then invited Richard Halley to take permanent residence. Perhaps Midas had decided to become a music patron&mdash;but Halley did not rely entirely on Midas' patronage. He negotiated a larger leasehold and planted fruit trees on his land.

 

So now Midas had a functioning community. He himself raised [[wheat]] and [[tobacco]], and founded a company, with Hugh Akston as the other shareholder, to produce a new brand of cigarettes better than any available on the outside. Judge Narragansett raised chicken and produced raw milk and dairy products, and Richard Halley produced fresh fruit. Whatever the men could not produce for themselves, Midas would acquire through a secret channel that the novel never explains; this was probably a black market in industrial supplies, perhaps the same one that Ragnar Danneskjöld would supply in his [[privateer]]ing activities.

 

Concerning this last, Ragnar told Midas all about his grand project to "tax the [[income tax]]ers" and wring from the outside system an amount of gold sufficient to pay back the income taxes of a select group of prospects for the great strike, beginning in the year that the strike began. Midas obliged by re-establishing his bank in the town center, so that Ragnar could bring his booty to the valley and deposit it there. Midas also built a mint and produced [[gold]] and [[silver]] coin.

The novel does not state specifically when this community got its name. John Galt always referred to it as Mulligan's Valley. Other residents called it [[Galt's Gulch]]. ([[Dagny Taggart]] called it by another name: [[Atlantis]], the name of a mythical "lost city" in the [[Atlantic Ocean]].)

The novel does not state specifically when this community got its name. John Galt always referred to it as Mulligan's Valley. Other residents called it [[Galt's Gulch]]. ([[Dagny Taggart]] called it by another name: [[Atlantis]], the name of a mythical "lost city" in the [[Atlantic Ocean]].)

[[Hugh Akston]], a [[professor]] of [[philosophy]], also asked for a lease. More strikers followed. But because Midas required each one to pay a rent for the use of his land, eventually the strikers sought to build an economy in the valley. [[Francisco d'Anconia]] opened a [[copper]] [[mine]] in the side of the mountains that ringed the valley. When Francisco needed start-up capital, Midas reopened his bank and made him a loan.

The economy of the valley was slow to develop. But every year produced more recruits. In 2015, the actress Kay Ludlow came to the valley for the first time and gave a performance that two "striking" playwrights had written. Her performance so impressed Ragnar Danneskjöld that he fell instantly in love with her; his career so impressed her that she fell in love with him. At the end of the month, Judge Narragansett, as Midas' informal [[Justice of the Peace]], married the two. Midas offered Kay Ludlow Danneskjöld his own sponsorship, but she declined, reminding him that he would violate his oath by patronizing an actress "out of season."

This prompted [[Ragnar Danneskjold]] to make another proposal. Ragnar Danneskjold had decided to operate as a [[privateer]], to recover some of the substance that the [[United States]] government stole from the strikers by seizing certain "relief" cargoes that the government would try to send from time to time to various "People's States" in Europe and elsewhere. Now Ragnar proposed to deposit the proceeds from his activities in Midas' bank, so that anyone joining the strike, or likely to join the strike, could receive back all the [[income tax]]es they had been forced to pay since the strike began. Midas obliged Ragnar by opening accounts in the names of all the strikers, plus all those on a long list of prospects that John Galt and Francisco d'Anconia drew up and maintained. ([[Dagny Taggart]] and [[Henry Rearden]] remained on that list until the last year of the strike.) Midas also opened a mint and issued gold and silver coin, the only currency that the valley residents would accept.

In 2016, a contractor named Richard McNamara joined the strike. He built his house in the valley, and then stayed long enough to re-route all the electric wires and water culverts, and to set up an automatic telephone exchange. He did not stay, because the valley's economy could not support him full-time&mdash;yet. Dwight Sanders, a famed aircraft designer, also came to the valley. He cleared yet more land on the valley floor, started a hog farm, and built the first functioning airstrip. He at least could stay permanently, for two reasons: the hams and bacon he produced would give him a proper income, and Midas gladly paid Sanders a royalty for a functioning airstrip.

The collapse of the economy of [[Colorado]] following the Fair Share Act and other burdensome laws and regulations caused the development of the valley to accelerate. [[Ellis Wyatt]], [[Andrew Stockton]], and many other businessmen/inventors came to the valley and carried on the same activities they had carried on outside. A contractor named Richard McNamara laid two hundred miles of water mains and power and telephone lines, opened a telephone exchange, and functioned as the valley's utility provider.

The collapse of the economy of [[Colorado]] following the Fair Share Act and other burdensome laws and regulations passed in November of 2017 caused the development of the valley to accelerate. [[Ellis Wyatt]], [[Andrew Stockton]], and many other businessmen/inventors came to the valley and carried on the same activities they had carried on outside. McNamara came back to stay, now that the valley had a large-enough population to support his activities full-time. In June of 2018 Midas held his first "job fair," at which time McNamara hired three assistants for his now-thriving utility business. This was the first indicator that the valley could soon be self-supporting, ''and'' provide enough work to let every striker live in the valley full-time.

At some point in the community's history, John Galt and Midas Mulligan discussed an obvious need. Mulligan's Valley would require concealment from a society that was growing more desperate and more tyrannical with every passing year, or even with every passing month. (The demonstration of [[Project X]] probably surprised no one in the valley when it occurred.) John Galt invented another solution. He installed a series of directed-energy projectors at an elevation of 8700 feet, 700 feet above the ground level of the valley. These projectors would create a screen of "refractor rays" that would project a false image of a valley of jagged rocks to any pilot looking on it from above, thus making the real valley all but invisible.

Kay Ludlow Danneskjöld also came back to stay. She moved into Ragnar's riverfront house and opened a restaurant on the valley floor.

== The scab ==

== The scab ==

On or about the first day of June in the last year of the strike (probably 1929), John Galt brought in yet another strike prospect, one [[Quentin Daniels]], who had tried to reverse-engineer John Galt's electrostatic motor. Midas took Daniels to his own house. (Normally a striker would spend his first night in John Galt's house, in case he might waver, but Daniels needed no such consideration.) Midas had barely reached his house before he looked up and saw a horrifying sight: ''another'' aircraft attempting to descend. Any pilot in the valley was supposed to call in by radio so that Midas could have the ray screen turned off. This pilot did not do this. More to the point, the pilot was an uninvited visitor. If he descended much lower, he would intercept the refractor rays, and then anything might happen, and probably not good.

On May 31, 2019, John Galt brought in yet another strike prospect, one [[Quentin Daniels]], who had tried to reverse-engineer John Galt's electrostatic motor. Midas took Daniels to his own house. (Normally a striker would spend his first night in John Galt's house, in case he might waver, but Daniels needed no such consideration.) Midas had barely reached his house before he looked up and saw a horrifying sight: ''another'' aircraft attempting to descend. Any pilot in the valley was supposed to call in by radio so that Midas could have the ray screen turned off. This pilot did not do this. More to the point, the pilot was an uninvited visitor. If he descended much lower, he would intercept the refractor rays, and then anything might happen, and probably not good.

As Midas watched, the plane descended to an altitude of 8700 feet, and then was engulfed in a bright flash. When the flash cleared, the plane was descending even more rapidly&mdash;in a flat tailspin. Midas would say later that he thought that whoever the pilot was, deserved to get himself killed for such recklessness. And so he was quite unprepared to learn that the pilot of that aircraft was none other than [[Dagny Taggart]].

As Midas watched, the plane descended to an altitude of 8700 feet, and then was engulfed in a bright flash. When the flash cleared, the plane was descending even more rapidly&mdash;in a flat tailspin. Midas would say later that he thought that whoever the pilot was, deserved to get himself killed for such recklessness. And so he was quite unprepared to learn that the pilot of that aircraft was none other than [[Dagny Taggart]].

Dagny did crash-land in a pasture on the far side of the valley from the airstrip. John Galt was first on the scene, and hand-carried her into the center of the village that the strikers had built. Midas met her there and rebuked her for taking her life in her hands as she had. Her ankle was injured, and she would require some [[medicine|medical]] attention, but at least she survived. But her presence created another problem, one that neither Midas nor Galt had anticipated: the first [[scab]].

Dagny did crash-land in a pasture on the far side of the valley from the airstrip. John Galt was first on the scene, and hand-carried her into the center of the village that the strikers had built. Midas met her there and rebuked her for taking her life in her hands as she had. Her ankle was injured, and she would require some [[medicine|medical]] attention, but at least she survived. But her presence created another problem, one that neither Midas nor Galt had anticipated: the first [[scab]].

Dagny Taggart stayed in the valley for a month. The novel records that John Galt rented Midas Mulligan's automobile for a nominal daily rate during that month. Dagny received a complete tour of the valley, and had the opportunity to talk to Midas and to all the strikers who lived in the valley.

Dagny Taggart stayed in the valley for a month. The novel records that John Galt rented Midas Mulligan's automobile for a nominal daily rate during that month. Dagny received a complete tour of the valley, and had the opportunity to talk to Midas and to all the strikers who lived in the valley. Midas was a part of that: he hosted a "welcome-home dinner" for Dagny, as he did for every striker who now joined.

At the end of that month, Dagny Taggart decided to return to the outside. Midas begged John Galt not to return to [[New York City]], where he spent eleven months out of the year, but Galt insisted on returning. Midas would not learn until later that John Galt's chief, and now sole, interest in staying in New York was spying on, and watching out for, Dagny.

At the end of that month, Dagny Taggart decided to return to the outside. Midas begged John Galt not to return to [[New York City]], where he spent eleven months out of the year, but Galt insisted on returning. Midas would not learn until later that John Galt's chief, and now sole, interest in staying in New York was spying on, and watching out for, Dagny.

== The collapse ==

== The collapse ==

On November 5, [[John Galt]] returned to the valley&mdash;with [[Henry Rearden]] as a passenger. That evening, Midas again hosted a "welcome-home dinner" for Rearden. Rearden was obviously ready to go: he spent half the evening taking orders for Rearden Metal. Midas noted, with no small amount of anger, that Rearden wore a bandage on his head. Rearden waved off Midas' solicitude, saying, "Business, Midas. Business as usual, as they used to insult us with on the outside."

On November 5, 2019, [[John Galt]] returned to the valley&mdash;with [[Henry Rearden]] as a passenger. That evening, Midas again hosted a "welcome-home dinner" for Rearden. Rearden was obviously ready to go: he spent half the evening taking orders for Rearden Metal. Midas noted, with no small amount of anger, that Rearden wore a bandage on his head. Rearden waved off Midas' solicitude, saying, "Business, Midas. Business as usual, as they used to insult us with on the outside."

The next day, Midas turned over to Rearden a bankbook listing the very tidy sum that [[Ragnar Danneskjold]] had deposited in the Mulligan Bank in Rearden's name. It was the largest of the "vindication accounts" that Danneskjold had opened. Midas also bought back the gold bar that Rearden had brought with him, in exchange for a hefty supply of [[gold]] and [[silver]] coin.

The next day, Midas turned over to Rearden a bankbook listing the very tidy sum that [[Ragnar Danneskjöld]] had deposited in the Mulligan Bank in Rearden's name. It was the largest of the "vindication accounts" that Danneskjöld had opened. Midas also bought back the gold bar that Rearden had brought with him, in exchange for a hefty supply of [[gold]] and [[silver]] coin.

Rearden did not waste time. He bought a vast tract of land that would become the new Rearden Steel, plus another tract that he called his "company subdivision." When [[Francisco d'Anconia]] landed in the valley with five of Rearden's former employees aboard, Midas understood the second purchase that Rearden had made.

Rearden did not waste time. He bought a vast tract of land that would become the new Rearden Steel, plus another tract that he called his "company subdivision." When [[Francisco d'Anconia]] landed in the valley with five of Rearden's former employees aboard, Midas understood the second purchase that Rearden had made.

On November 15, Ragnar Danneskjold returned to the valley, with his entire crew in tow. Danneskjold made another gold deposit in the Mulligan Bank, and told Midas that this would be his last. Midas was immensely relieved&mdash;but Danneskjold, as usual, said, "Forget it, Midas."

On November 15, Ragnar Danneskjöld returned to the valley, with his entire crew in tow. Danneskjöld made another gold deposit in the Mulligan Bank, and told Midas that this would be his last. Midas was immensely relieved&mdash;but Danneskjöld, as usual, said, "Forget it, Midas."

But when John Galt announced an acceleration in the special lecture series he had begun ten days earlier, Midas knew that something was up. He asked Galt about it, but Galt refused to tell him.

But when John Galt announced an acceleration in the special lecture series he had begun ten days earlier, Midas knew that something was up. He asked Galt about it, but Galt refused to tell him.

Then on November 22, [[John Galt]] made his famous three-hour speech to the nation. The next day, Galt went back to [[New York City]]. Again Midas tried to tell Galt not to go; again Galt went anyway. Midas could tell that Francisco knew why Galt would act so rashly&mdash;but Francisco wasn't telling, either.

Then on November 22, [[John Galt]] made his famous three-hour speech to the nation. The next day, Galt went back to [[New York City]]. Again Midas tried to tell Galt not to go; again Galt went anyway. Midas could tell that Francisco knew why Galt would act so rashly&mdash;but Francisco wasn't telling, either. Neither did Hank Rearden; Rearden merely smiled at Midas' solicitude.

Three months passed, during which time Henry Rearden brought the New Rearden Steel on-line and took from Midas the last of his markets for [[black market]] goods&mdash;in this case, steel. Midas would not compete with Rearden Metal. That was one market that Midas was glad to lose.

Three months passed, during which time Henry Rearden brought the New Rearden Steel on-line and took from Midas the last of his markets for [[black market]] goods&mdash;in this case, steel. Midas would not compete with Rearden Metal. That was one market that Midas was glad to lose.

And then John Galt was arrested and held incommunicado.

And then, on February 22, 2020, John Galt was arrested and held incommunicado.

Ragnar Danneskjold organized half the men in the valley, including Henry Rearden, as the Galt's Gulch Air and Land Militia. Its mission: to rescue John Galt. Mulligan stayed behind and held the fort. Weeks later, to Mulligan's tremendous relief, the Militia returned&mdash;with Galt, and with [[Dagny Taggart]].

Ragnar Danneskjöld organized half the men in the valley, including Hank Rearden, as the Galt's Gulch Air and Land Militia. Its mission: to rescue John Galt. Mulligan stayed behind and held the fort. Weeks later, to Mulligan's tremendous relief, the Militia returned&mdash;with Galt, and with [[Dagny Taggart]].

== Aftermath ==

== Aftermath ==

The following wintertime was the first time since the founding of [[Galt's Gulch]] that all its leaseholders were in residence at any time other than the month of June. In the springtime, John Galt announced that "the road [was] cleared" and that the strike was effectively settled&mdash;by default.

Now, for the first time since the founding of [[Galt's Gulch]], all its leaseholders were in residence at a time other than the month of June. In April, John Galt announced that "the road [was] cleared" and that the strike was effectively settled&mdash;by default.

 

One may infer, from a description given of investment plans that he was making on the night that Galt would pronounce the strike over, that Midas Mulligan re-established offices of the Mulligan Bank in Chicago and in other cities, as local [[militia]]s, not answering to the abusive federal government under the [[Mr. Thompson|Thompson]] administration, restored law and order. One may also infer that Midas Mulligan never revealed the location of the valley, nor allowed any of his leaseholders to reveal it, in case they might need to retreat to it again. Only with the greatest of reluctance would he allow Dagny Taggart to build a narrow-gauge railway line out to Melrose, to a station offering a connection to a standard-gauge track to Winston, on the old main line.

One may infer, from a description given of investment plans that he was making on the night that Galt would pronounce the strike over, that Midas Mulligan re-established offices of the Mulligan Bank in Chicago and in other cities, as local [[militia]]s, not answering to the abusive federal government under the [[Mr. Thompson|Thompson]] administration, restored law and order. One may also infer that Midas Mulligan never revealed the location of the valley, nor allowed any of his leaseholders to reveal it, in case they might need to retreat to it again. Midas would have no shortage of money-making opportunities. John Galt would establish a company to build [[locomotive]]s and other products using his electrostatic motor; Dagny Taggart would start to rebuild the old [[Taggart Transcontinental Railroad]]; Henry Rearden would re-establish Rearden Steel; [[Ellis Wyatt]] would put out the fires, known as "Wyatt's Torch," on his [[oil]] [[shale]] fields and resume the production of oil from those fields; and [[Francisco d'Anconia]] would rebuild D'Anconia Copper SA, perhaps now known as D'Anconia Copper, Incorporated. In general, with the collapse of the "looters' system," the erstwhile strikers could now rebuild an economy in an environment in which they could operate their businesses as they saw fit and keep and use the fruits of their own labors.

Midas would have no shortage of money-making opportunities. John Galt would establish a company to build [[locomotive]]s and other products using his electrostatic motor; Dagny Taggart would start to rebuild the old [[Taggart Transcontinental Railroad]]; Henry Rearden would re-establish Rearden Steel; [[Ellis Wyatt]] would put out the fires, known as "Wyatt's Torch," on his [[oil]] [[shale]] fields and resume the production of oil from those fields; and [[Francisco d'Anconia]] would rebuild D'Anconia Copper SA, perhaps now known as D'Anconia Copper, Incorporated. In general, with the collapse of the "looters' system," the erstwhile strikers could now rebuild an economy in an environment in which they could operate their businesses as they saw fit and keep and use the fruits of their own labors.

{{endspoiler}}

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