He was about to found an electric car company. He then got information that there were 2 guys in the Valley trying to build an electric car company. They had only minimal investment (personal, family) and their fund-raising was hitting a wall, nobody was investing and the company was basically dead men walking. Tesla was basically 2 guys with business plan, and the business plan was a pretty vague idea about building an electric street car.
Instead of just ignoring that, putting his money in his own company and essentially 100% dooming Tesla, he got together with them, funded them and brought incredibly important people like J.B. with him.
People now use this as a negative, but seems to me not just ignoring them, and dooming them to bankruptcy and starting his own company was a pretty nice. Its not like Tesla was far enough in development that their technology was a must have. Tesla was founded based on a lot of false assumptions.
He even allowed one of them to lead the company for the next couple of years until Tesla had been run straight into the ground, only then replacing the CEO.
Ok later he insisted the he and J.B. were founders as well and that what people don't like. But the reality is without him and J.B. Tesla was doomed and for the history of Tesla Musk and J.B. are far more relevant then the original founders.
He was about to found an electric car company. He then got information that there were 2 guys in the Valley trying to build an electric car company. They had only minimal investment (personal, family) and their fund-raising was hitting a wall, nobody was investing and the company was basically dead men walking. Tesla was basically 2 guys with business plan, and the business plan was a pretty vague idea about building an electric street car.
Instead of just ignoring that, putting his money in his own company and essentially 100% dooming Tesla, he got together with them, funded them and brought incredibly important people like J.B. with him.
People now use this as a negative, but seems to me not just ignoring them, and dooming them to bankruptcy and starting his own company was a pretty nice. Its not like Tesla was far enough in development that their technology was a must have. Tesla was founded based on a lot of false assumptions.
He even allowed one of them to lead the company for the next couple of years until Tesla had been run straight into the ground, only then replacing the CEO.
Ok later he insisted the he and J.B. were founders as well and that what people don't like. But the reality is without him and J.B. Tesla was doomed and for the history of Tesla Musk and J.B. are far more relevant then the original founders.