Nikola Tesla

Nikola Tesla (1856–1943) was a Serbian-American engineer, futurist, and inventor, regarded as a key figure in the design of the modern alternating current (AC) electricity supply system. Raised in the Austrian Empire, he studied engineering and physics in the 1870s without taking a degree, then gained hands-on experience in telephony and at Continental Edison in the emerging electric power industry. In 1884 he migrated to the United States and became a naturalized citizen, working briefly at the Edison Machine Works in New York City before striking out on his own. In New York he set up laboratories and companies to develop a range of electrical and mechanical devices, including the AC induction motor and related polyphase AC patents later licensed by Westinghouse Electric. These became the backbone of the polyphase AC system that powers modern grids. Despite his immense contribution to technology and civilization, he spent his final years relatively isolated in a New York hotel and died with limited financial resources.