Are Elon Musk and Nikola Tesla Related
Elon Musk’s success with his various groundbreaking businesses — such as Tesla, SpaceX and the eponymous Boring Company — has seen the tech mogul move up the ranks of important 20th and 21st century innovators. Some have even gone so far as to compare him to the pioneering Serbian scientist Nikola Tesla, who made guest appearances in a variety of futuristic and sci-fi works — he was one of the inspirations for the Marvel character Doctor Doom. But are Elon Musk and Nikola Tesla related?
Most sources currently agree that the two inventors are not related. While Elon Musk was born in South Africa in 1971, Nikola Tesla was born in Smiljan, Croatia in 1856. Tesla seems to have died an only child, meaning Musks and Teslas were never related.
Clint Sellers, curator of the Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe in New York and a scientist in his own right, notes that there are certainly similarities between the two innovators. “Tesla and Musk were two of the greatest innovators of the 20th and 21st centuries,” Sellers said. “Both men represented a great hope for the future – Tesla’s AC electricity altered the way of life, while Musk has created a wave of electric vehicles, renewable energy, and space exploration. They are both truly original, forward-thinking inventors.”
Despite the lack of a clear relationship, the two have been heralded by some as, in some ways, kindred spirits. Musk has voiced his admiration for Tesla on a number of occasions. In an interview, he explained why he chose the name Tesla: “I thought about it for a long time and realized that [Tesla] was quite a special name. I mean, what better way to honor his contribution to science than naming the company after him?” Ultimately, Musk purchased the Tesla.com domain from Stu Grossman, a publisher from California, and thus, the Tesla Motors brand came to fruition.
Musk’s admiration for Tesla has gone further — in 2016, he announced that he was donating $1 million to the Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe in order to preserve Tesla’s original lab. Tesla has also been Musk’s inspiration in many other ways. He has said his decision to study Physics at the University of Pennsylvania was largely due to Tesla’s work.
Elon Musk and Renewable Energy
Elon Musk has become a champion of renewable energy through his innovative vision and pioneering turnouts. Through the work that Tesla has done to change the way we create, store and use energy, Elon Musk has drastically changed our approach to power. Musk’s dedication to renewable energy sources has not only changed our relationships with energy production but has also made them more accessible, efficient, and even better for the environment.
The most well-known of his renewable energy endeavors is, of course, Tesla Motors. Many of Musk’s electric vehicles have been met with acceptance and praise, differing greatly from when other electric cars were introduced in the late 1900s. As of 2019, Tesla had produced over 500,000 cars and the company is surely on the rise in terms of production numbers. Tesla cars are known for their endurance which has catapulted them forward in the race for electric domination.
But Musk’s renewable energy achievements go beyond vehicles. He co-founded SolarCity in 2006, which has now become a major solar panel provider in North America. His solar panel roofs have created a surge of interest in home solar power, which has had subsequent effects on solar energy production within the United States. Solar energy production grew by a whopping 95 percent from 2016 to 2017 in the US alone.
In addition to these efforts, Musk’s Tesla Energy division has also created an array of home energy storage units along with the necessary software systems and infrastructure to support mass adoption of renewable energy sources. Tesla Energy is partnered up with a number of energy companies, allowing homeowners to save money off of their electric bills by having them rely primarily on renewable energy sources like solar and wind energy.
Elon Musk and Space Exploration
In 2002, Elon Musk founded his very own aerospace manufacturing and space transportation services company, SpaceX. Musk’s daredevil approach to space exploration has transformed the view of space travel around the world. Musk’s goal with SpaceX was very simple — to make space exploration reusable and accessible. The mission is to make journeys to space cheaper, which will in turn, create the scope for humanity’s further exploration of space.
Throughout his journey, Musk has faced many obstacles and adversity, making his many accomplishments through SpaceX even more commendable. His unique approach to using technology and machines to create a more efficient space exploration system has made his company one of the leading contenders in space travel. SpaceX is currently working on a variety of projects, from reusability of rockets to helping build space stations like the International Space Station.
SpaceX has already launched a number of satellites for a multitude of purposes and is currently working on crewed space flights. In June of 2020, SpaceX launched the first astronauts from U.S. soil, marking the company’s first successful crewened flight and a historic feat for space exploration. Later in the year, SpaceX launched the much famed “Rideshare Program”, allowing customers to use the company’s Falcon 9 rocket to launch their own, individual payloads into space.
Today, Elon Musk is working to make space exploration cheaper at an incredibly rapid pace. Not only has SpaceX managed to make rockets reusable, but it has also lowered the cost of a single Falcon 9 flight from about 90 million to about 50 to 60 million. Additionally, Musk’s ambitions go beyond Earth, with his intent to colonize Mars in the near future.
Profitability of Elon Musk’s Ventures
Elon Musk has found success through a variety of avenues since the turn of the century — and each has been incredibly profitable. In 2002, Musk founded his own aerospace manufacturing and space transportation services company, SpaceX. Through this venture, Musk has managed to make space exploration reusable and accessible, reducing the cost of travel and production. The mission is to make space travel cheaper, which in turn has created the scope for humanity’s further exploration of the stars.
Just a few years later, Musk entered the automobile industry with Tesla Motors. Tesla has become well-known for their strain of electric vehicles, growing from just 500 cars produced in 2009 to more than 500,000 in 2019. Musk’s dedication to renewable energy sources has not only changed our relationships with energy production but has also made them more accessible, efficient, and even better for the environment.
In 2017, Musk turned his sights on energy production and the environment with Tesla Energy. Through the company, Musk’s has provided the necessary software systems and infrastructure to support mass adoption of renewable energy sources. Tesla Energy is partnered up with a number of energy companies, allowing them to save money off of their electric bills by having them rely primarily on renewable energy sources like solar and wind energy.
Elon Musk’s investments and informed risks have not only allowed him to profit financially, but exposed to bigger, more meaningful changes to our society. Beyond the scope of his individual companies, Musk’s business tactics have encouraged the idea of technological evolution to a wider audience. With this wave of thinking, Elon Musk has not only improved his own wealth, but the wealth of our planet and the people around us.
The Public Perception of Elon Musk
Many have praised Elon Musk’s achievements, and indeed, the man has come a long way from CEO of Zip2 in 1999. His success has been evident through a variety of endeavors, from Tesla Motors to SpaceX — each feat being a testament to Musk’s foresight and innovation. In 2017, Musk was included in Time’s 100 most influential people list as a God-like figure and his status as a tech-industrial revolutionary have only been solidified by his vast accomplishments and his iconic presence on social media.
However, there have been those that criticize the innovator for his drastic and misguided decision making. His presence on the internet has given rise to a number of controversies, from his relationship with the media to his musings about the conspiracy of Time’s list of 100. Musk is well-known for having his very own style of dishing out criticism and may be viewed as dangerous by some.
Musk’s vocalness on the internet has only added fuel to the fire and his words have been twisted and turned into unfounded accusations by his rivals and by some of the media. While most of his activities are done for the greater good, it is not strange that people will inevitably have different opinions on him. One thing is undeniably clear — Musk’s influence on the world’s economy and technology is ever-expanding.
Effects of Elon Musk’s Legacy
Elon Musk has been married to the larger-than-life projects. From driving the electric vehicle industry to pursuing new means of space travel and working towards reducing our dependency on non-renewable resources, his legacy is most likely to shake up this world in the foreseeable future.
Whether his projects and plans come to fruition or otherwise, it is safe to say that he has inspired and changed the way people think about progress and innovation. Musk’s industries have broken numerous frontiers and have opened up new possibilities for mankind which were once thought to be impossible.
His groundbreaking ventures have bought about a huge cultural shift in how we perceive and view technology. Under his guidance, the foresight for technological evolution has been bought forth to a wide audience, to the point that realistic visions of the future from science-fiction movies now appear feasible.
In the business world, Musk’s spark of innovation and willingness to take risks have pushed forward the idea of taking calculated risks. The move to purchasing domains such as Tesla.com or SolarCity.com which have then become billion-dollar businesses speaks a lot about his ability to parlay investments into long-term success.
It is clear that we have yet to see the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Elon Musk’s achievements. Still, when looking back in history, it is evident that his footprints have been left behind, and the coming generations will most likely continue to move forward with these paths.
