[usconservative]

Ayn Rand considered altruism the greatest abomination inflicted on manking.

Correction: She considered forced altruism as the greatest abomination inflicted on mankind.

[IronJack]

Ayn Rand rejects altruism, the view that self-sacrifice is the moral ideal. She argues that the ultimate moral value, for each human individual, is his or her own well-being. Since selfishness (as she understands it) is serious, rational, principled concern with one's own well-being, it turns out to be a prerequisite for the attainment of the ultimate moral value. For this reason, Rand believes that selfishness is a virtue.

From the Objectivist website ...