The daughter of Ayn Rand's heir, Leonard Peikoff, is seeking the courts to appoint a conservator to ensure Rand's estate stays in proper hands.
Author: Dorian Hargrove
RANCHO SANTA FE, Calif. — The battle over the future of the writer and founder of Objectivism, Ayn Rand, is now playing out in a San Diego courtroom.
Kira Peikoff Beilis, daughter of prominent Objectivist philosopher Leonard Peikoff, and recipient of Ayn Rand's estate, says her 91-year-old father is getting taken advantage of by his former caretaker-turned wife and a former San Diego prosecutor-turned writer.
In her lawsuit, Beilis claims that her father has already signed over his Rancho Santa Fe mansion to his wife, Grace Davis, and that Ayn Rand's estate, which includes the copyrights to her most popular books, "The Fountainhead" and "Atlas Shrugged," could potentially be next in line.
The suit also names former San Diego County Deputy District Attorney and objectivist writer James Valliant, for allegedly helping Davis isolate Beilis from her father and drive a wedge between them.
Beilis is now asking a judge to place her father in a conservatorship to ensure Rand's estate will be placed in a foundation for safekeeping.
Who is Leonard Peikoff?
Beilis's father, Leonard Peikoff, was a professor of Objectivism and Rand's longtime confidante. Rand signed over her estate to Peikoff in 1982.
According to Peikoff's website, Peikoff traveled from his home in Canada to California to meet Ayn Rand in 1951 when he was just 17 years old. On his website, Peikoff states that he immediately connected with Rand, the characters in her novels, and her Objectivist philosophy— the pro-capitalist belief that values personal freedom, property rights, and self-interest.
“I had read The Fountainhead as an adolescent at a time when I was searching for values,” Peikoff wrote in his biography. “The novel had a hero I could admire. He was a guide as to how to live, a beacon in a world that seemed to be collapsing. Once I met Ayn, heard her speak, felt the force of her conviction, and grasped the logic of her ideas, I knew I had found a direction.”
Peikoff went on to get his doctorate and teach Objectivism.
Upon Rand's death in 1982, Peikoff became Rand's legal heir.
Also on Peikoff's website is an interview he gave with his daughter, Kira Peikoff Beilis, in 2006.
And while Kira Peikoff celebrated her father for his work, the two's relationship has since broken apart.
Allegations of Harassment and Defamation
In her lawsuit, Peikoff Beilis claims that former San Diego prosecutor James Valliant has grown entrenched with Mr. Peikoff and his new wife, Grace Davis. Peikoff Beilis says Valliant launched a campaign against her in online forums by spreading false statements about her motives and relationship with her father.
The complaint alleges Valliant accused Peikoff Beilis of financially exploiting her father and was a threat to Ayn Rand's legacy.
According to the lawsuit, after Beilis initiated conservatorship proceedings in 2024 out of concern for her father’s well-being and control over his estate, the attacks increased.
Peikoff Beilis says Valliant intentionally leaked a private phone call that she had with her father in February 2024.
Now, Peikoff Beilis says her father's new wife and Valliant are draining her father's bank account, most recently signing over his $5 million Rancho Santa Fe home to Davis. Peikoff Beilis says doing so amounts to financial elder abuse.
Beilis is now asking the court to issue a restraining order against Valliant, to remove the recording of her and her father's phone call, and to prevent further privacy violations.
Lastly, Peikoff Beilis is asking a judge to ensure that Ayn Rand's estate is donated to Rand's museum and not transferred to any third parties.
The case will now proceed through the courts.
CBS 8 reached out to Mr. Peikoff, his wife, Ms. Davis, and James Valliant. None of the three responded to our emails.
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The battle over Ayn Rand's legacy is happening in San Diego County
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