Tesla's greatest contribution is alternating current. When Westinghouse funded him initially he realized it was vastly superior to direct current which petered out and need new generating stations built every mile. The 1892/3 Columbian Exposition was powered by his AC method mainly because they could vastly underbid the less efficient DC method Edison was using.

This secured Tesla's status as the top electrician the world had. A reputation that was well earned.

Westinghouse got himself into some financial straits and approached Tesla about his troubles. Tesla tore up his contract which guaranteed him a percentage of the profits from the use of AC. Tesla, with them, would have been one of the richest men in the world, but instead died a pauper.

He received decent funding from Westinghouse till the Wardenclyffe tower was built, when an aging,ill Westinghouse balked. Westinghouse died shortly after and the new bosses at Westinghouse cut Tesla off, financially - even though his invention was the primary reason they were rolling in money.

Wireless transmission of energy was the goal of the Wardenclyffe tower. Tesla had already proven the concept in Colorado Springs where he had a research facility set up. However, when the venture capitalists he approached heard of his idea they wanted to know how it would generate revenue Tesla responded with talk about providing the world electricity without wires and broadcasting all over the earth (Wardenclyffe=1st would be INTERNET!)

The backers thought he was losing it. No clear profit - and what's worse Wardenclyffe, if successful, would undermine his own alternating current design currently generating revenue all over the world.

That's why Westinghouse balked, Tesla's wireless power would supplant AC - and Westinghouse feared the loss of all the money he was making on Tesla's invention. Westinghouse was a money-man and his replacements were even greedier yet and cut Tesla off completely, for fear he would take the small allowance of funds Westinghouse had set up (after Tesla tore up his contract) and might somehow finish something that put their big revenue generator out of business.

So Tesla approached others and never did get enough to finish it. His downfall began at this time. He moved to cheaper and cheaper hotels and eventually the well-built, unfinished Wardenclyffe tower was dynamited repeatedly to destroy it, because the military was afraid it was a recognizable landmark that might guide enemy subs, planes or ships.

Wireless power is the technology that the government raced to suppress after Tesla's death by confiscating his papers. They also worried about the death ray. Meanwhile, with no clear heir, RCA quickly stole Tesla's 'remote control' technology which would power on RCA TV sets by the early 50s.

Free energy, mysticism and Tesla's quirks have overshadowed his solid engineering genius rep amongst fans and detractors alike, but the real X-mas present for all of us that Tesla left in his bag is wireless power - a concept which could revolutionize transportation, electric distribution and even satellite and spacecraft operation!

Tesla in 1919 - still revered, but his focus now alienated the industrialists.


It wasn't politics. Politicians don't hold the money. It was industry which failed to see anything besides Tesla's eccentric dreams, visions and habits and most certainly could NOT see the clear profit in funding his grand ideas.

Tesla's biggest mistake was tearing up the contract. If he had not done that he would not have to beg for money from folks getting rich off of his inventions and could have built his own financial empire.

But Tesla was generous and perhaps this was a good thing, in more ways than one. The world simply was already hard pressed to assimilate alternating current and electricity. His other visions were centuries ahead and would likely lead to the wars he sought to end.