Nikola Tesla, the brilliant inventor and engineer, had several key investors and backers throughout his career. One of the most notable was George Westinghouse, an industrial magnate who saw the potential in Tesla’s work on alternating current (AC) electricity. Westinghouse’s investment in Tesla’s AC system fundamentally shaped the future of electricity distribution and helped to establish AC as the standard for electrical power transmission.
Another significant figure was J.P. Morgan, a powerful banker and financier, who backed Tesla’s ambitious plans for wireless communication and energy transmission. Morgan’s investment provided Tesla the capital he needed to develop and test his innovative ideas, although their partnership eventually cooled over differences in vision and strategy.
Throughout his life, Tesla also received support from various smaller investors and patrons, but it was Westinghouse and Morgan who played the most crucial roles in funding his groundbreaking projects. Their investments not only fueled Tesla’s inventions but also helped transform the electrical landscape of the modern world.