In this radio talk, Rand presents two distinct business personality types which she calls the Money-Maker and the Money-Appropriator. The former applies to innovators in business–the successful entrepreneurs who take calculated risks and succeed. Those with the Money-Appropriator personality type may also become rich, but usually through illegitimate means such as "cutting corners" in business or getting favors through political pull. 

Rand discusses the many differences between these two archetypes, giving detailed descriptions of the essential characteristics of each. In addition, she briefly describes the qualities of real-life money-makers such as steamship and railroad tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt, steel industrialist Andrew Carnegie, automobile innovator Henry Ford, banking magnate J.P. Morgan, and many more.