Nikola Tesla (1856–1943), the father of AC electricity
Born in Croatia (then part of the Austrian Empire) in 1856, Nikola Tesla entered Graz University of Technology at 19. By age 22, he discovered the principle of alternating current electricity in Budapest. After immigrating to the United States, he briefly worked for Edison's company but soon clashed with him. In 1888, Tesla partnered with Westinghouse, becoming the victor of the "War of Currents" and establishing the alternating current system as the American standard.
While a genius in invention, Tesla was inept at business and patent management. When Westinghouse faced a severe financial crisis, Tesla voluntarily relinquished his contract, which included a $2.50 royalty per patent. This decision alone resulted in an estimated loss of $12 million for him. Despite making nearly 10,000 inventions throughout his life, most of the wealth generated from them went to others. In 1943, at the age of 87, he died alone in a New York hotel, leaving behind only debts.
Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning were engineers in California, deeply concerned about environmental issues. They decided to name their new electric car company "Tesla Motors." This name was chosen to signify both "a company using the induction motor invented by Tesla in its vehicles" and as "a tribute to his unrecognized genius." As a further homage, a bust of Tesla was prominently placed in the company's first headquarters office.
The Hanja character "才 (jae)" visually depicts a sprout breaking through the soil, symbolizing "talent" or "skill." The term "천재 (天才, cheonjae)" literally translates to "talent given by heaven." Tesla was an inventor who was a century ahead of his time, conceiving groundbreaking ideas such as wireless power transmission and concepts remarkably similar to the internet. The very essence of "才" — "the power of a sprout breaking through the soil" — truly defined his life and legacy.
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