Elon Musk did not name nor found Tesla; he bought the name for $75,000 from a stubborn owner in Sacramento through persistent negotiation. The real founders of Tesla were Martin Eberhard and Mark Tarpenning. Musk joined a year after Tesla was founded, invested $6.5 million, and later became chairman and CEO, driving the company to global success. If the deal for the name had failed, Musk's alternative was 'Faraday.'
1 min 1 sec
2025