▁killing ▁her ▁wealth y ▁lo ver , ▁which ▁gave ▁Rand ▁the ▁idea ▁to ▁write ▁a ▁play ▁featuring ▁a ▁trial . ▁Rand ▁wanted ▁her ▁play ' s ▁ending ▁to ▁depend ▁on ▁the ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁trial , ▁rather ▁than ▁having ▁a ▁fixed ▁final ▁scene . ▁She ▁based ▁her ▁victim ▁on ▁I var ▁Kre ug er , ▁a ▁Swedish ▁business man ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁" Match ▁King " ▁for ▁the ▁match st ick - man ufact uring ▁mon opol ies ▁he ▁owned , ▁before ▁he ▁was ▁found ▁dead ▁in ▁March ▁ 1 9 3 2 . ▁When ▁Kre ug er ' s ▁business ▁emp ire ▁became ▁finan cially ▁un stable , ▁he ▁shot ▁himself ▁after ▁being ▁accused ▁of ▁executing ▁under hand ed ▁and ▁possibly ▁illegal ▁financial ▁de als . ▁This ▁incident ▁inspired ▁Rand ▁to ▁make ▁the ▁victim ▁a ▁business man ▁of ▁great ▁amb ition ▁and ▁dub ious ▁character , ▁who ▁had ▁given ▁several ▁people ▁mot ives ▁for ▁his ▁murder . ▁ ▁Rand ▁wrote ▁Night ▁of ▁January ▁ 1 6 th ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 3 . ▁She ▁was ▁ 2 8 ▁and ▁had ▁been ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁for ▁seven ▁years ▁after ▁em igr ating ▁from ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union , ▁where ▁her ▁strong ▁anti - Comm un ist ▁opinions ▁had ▁put ▁her ▁at ▁risk . ▁Rand ▁had ▁never ▁written ▁a ▁stage ▁play , ▁but ▁had ▁worked ▁in ▁Hollywood ▁as ▁a ▁junior ▁screen writer ▁for ▁Cec il ▁B . ▁De M ille , ▁and ▁later ▁in ▁R K O ▁Studios ' ▁w ard ro be