Tesla began with Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning, but five people ultimately gained the legal right to call themselves co-founders — and the best known of them joined after the company was incorporated.
Two people founded Tesla in 2003; those who joined later — including Musk — were investors and employees, not founders in the originating sense.
Musk considers himself a co-founder, emphasizing that his early-stage capital, product decisions, and later leadership were constitutive of the company that actually shipped cars.
Co-incorporated Tesla Motors, served as its first CEO, drove the early product vision for a desirable electric sports car, and led the company through its earliest fundraising and the Roadster program.
Co-incorporated Tesla Motors with Eberhard, led early electrical engineering and software, and served as VP of Electrical Engineering. Previously co-founded NuvoMedia with Eberhard.
An early engineer (often described as Tesla's third employee) who joined soon after incorporation and left in 2004 to found Wrightspeed. Named as an allowable co-founder in the 2009 settlement.
Led Tesla's first significant funding round in February 2004 with the large majority of the capital, became chairman of the board, and later became CEO (2008). Publicly the face of the company; his account emphasizes his role in product direction and survival financing.
Joined in 2004 and became long-serving Chief Technology Officer, central to Tesla's battery and powertrain engineering. Stayed the longest of the five recognized co-founders. Named as an allowable co-founder in the 2009 settlement.
Former Flextronics CEO who served as interim CEO of Tesla after Eberhard was removed from the CEO role in 2007.
CEO of Tesla from late 2007 until Musk took over as CEO in October 2008.
Founder of Valor Equity Partners; early investor and long-serving Tesla board member closely aligned with Musk.
Partner at Draper Fisher Jurvetson; led DFJ's investment and served on Tesla's board.
Google co-founder; angel investor in Tesla's Series C round.
Google co-founder; angel investor in Tesla's Series C round.
2 of 11 have put their version on the record.
Before Tesla, Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning co-founded NuvoMedia, maker of the Rocket eBook, which they sold to Gemstar in 2000. The venture established their partnership and capital base.
Eberhard and Tarpenning, convinced there was demand for a desirable electric car, drew inspiration from AC Propulsion's tzero prototype and began developing the concept that became Tesla. First work on the idea predates incorporation.
Ian Wright joins Tesla shortly after incorporation, often described as its third employee. He leaves in 2004 to start Wrightspeed. He is later named among the five allowable co-founders in the 2009 settlement.
Tesla Motors, Inc. was incorporated on July 1, 2003 by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning. Elon Musk joined in February 2004 by leading the Series A round and became chairman of the board. Ian Wright (2003) and JB Straubel (2004) joined as early employees after incorporation. A 2009 legal settlement permits Eberhard, Tarpenning, Wright, Musk, and Straubel all to call themselves co-founders.
Two people founded Tesla in 2003; those who joined later — including Musk — were investors and employees, not founders in the originating sense.
Musk considers himself a co-founder, emphasizing that his early-stage capital, product decisions, and later leadership were constitutive of the company that actually shipped cars.
Unresolved: Whether 'co-founder' is historically accurate for individuals who joined after incorporation, or is a negotiated title.
Tesla Motors, Inc. was incorporated on July 1, 2003 by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning. Elon Musk joined in February 2004 by leading the Series A round and became chairman of the board. Ian Wright (2003) and JB Straubel (2004) joined as early employees after incorporation. A 2009 legal settlement permits Eberhard, Tarpenning, Wright, Musk, and Straubel all to call themselves co-founders.
Two people founded Tesla in 2003; those who joined later — including Musk — were investors and employees, not founders in the originating sense.
Musk considers himself a co-founder, emphasizing that his early-stage capital, product decisions, and later leadership were constitutive of the company that actually shipped cars.
Unresolved: Whether 'co-founder' is historically accurate for individuals who joined after incorporation, or is a negotiated title.
Musk's 2009 public account emphasizes that he provided the overwhelming majority of Tesla's early capital, set core product direction, and later led the company through crisis — the basis for his claim to co-founder standing. (Placeholder summary of his firsthand account; full text/citation to be attached.)
JB Straubel joins Tesla in 2004 and becomes its long-serving Chief Technology Officer, central to battery and powertrain engineering. He is later named among the five allowable co-founders.
Tesla raises roughly $40M in a Series C round led by VantagePoint Capital Partners, with participation from DFJ, Valor, JPMorgan, and angels including Google co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page.
Tesla unveils the Roadster prototype at an invitation-only event in Santa Monica, California, generating major press for a Silicon Valley startup building a fast, desirable electric car.
Elon Musk publishes a blog post laying out a four-step strategy: build a sports car, use that money to build an affordable car, then an even more affordable car, and provide solar power along the way. The post becomes central to Tesla's public identity and to Musk's association with the company's vision.
Eberhard was removed as CEO in 2007 and left the company by the end of that year. The Roadster program was over budget and behind schedule at the time. Eberhard later publicly aired grievances and, in 2009, sued Musk and Tesla.
Eberhard says he was pushed out and mistreated, and that Musk subsequently sought to diminish his role in the company's story.
Musk and the board attribute the change to cost overruns, delays, and management performance on the Roadster, framing it as a necessary business decision.
Unresolved: Whether performance issues alone, or a personal/power dynamic with Musk, drove the removal.
Eberhard was removed as CEO in 2007 and left the company by the end of that year. The Roadster program was over budget and behind schedule at the time. Eberhard later publicly aired grievances and, in 2009, sued Musk and Tesla.
Eberhard says he was pushed out and mistreated, and that Musk subsequently sought to diminish his role in the company's story.
Musk and the board attribute the change to cost overruns, delays, and management performance on the Roadster, framing it as a necessary business decision.
Unresolved: Whether performance issues alone, or a personal/power dynamic with Musk, drove the removal.
In his 'Tesla Founders Blog,' Eberhard documented departures and grievances following his removal, framing his exit as being pushed out of the company he founded. (Placeholder summary; archived posts to be attached.)
Amid the 2008 financial crisis and a near-fatal cash shortage, Musk becomes CEO (succeeding Ze'ev Drori) and consolidates control of the company he had chaired and financed.
Musk asserts he is a co-founder of Tesla and central to its creation, arguing that the company as it exists — including the Roadster and Model S — would not have happened without his capital and product direction.
Eberhard maintains that he and Tarpenning founded the company in 2003 and that Musk was an investor and chairman who joined about seven months later, and objects to Musk being portrayed as an originator of the company.
Eberhard asserts he was pushed out of the company he founded and then written out of its story, characterizing Musk's conduct as a campaign to take credit.
Musk and Tesla attribute Eberhard's removal to the Roadster's cost overruns and delays and to management performance, and dispute that Eberhard's account is accurate.
Daimler AG acquires roughly a 10% stake (about $50M), a crucial vote of confidence that helped Tesla survive to its IPO.
Tesla Motors, Inc. was incorporated on July 1, 2003 by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning. Elon Musk joined in February 2004 by leading the Series A round and became chairman of the board. Ian Wright (2003) and JB Straubel (2004) joined as early employees after incorporation. A 2009 legal settlement permits Eberhard, Tarpenning, Wright, Musk, and Straubel all to call themselves co-founders.
Two people founded Tesla in 2003; those who joined later — including Musk — were investors and employees, not founders in the originating sense.
Musk considers himself a co-founder, emphasizing that his early-stage capital, product decisions, and later leadership were constitutive of the company that actually shipped cars.
Unresolved: Whether 'co-founder' is historically accurate for individuals who joined after incorporation, or is a negotiated title.
Tesla Motors, Inc. was incorporated on July 1, 2003 by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning. Elon Musk joined in February 2004 by leading the Series A round and became chairman of the board. Ian Wright (2003) and JB Straubel (2004) joined as early employees after incorporation. A 2009 legal settlement permits Eberhard, Tarpenning, Wright, Musk, and Straubel all to call themselves co-founders.
Two people founded Tesla in 2003; those who joined later — including Musk — were investors and employees, not founders in the originating sense.
Musk considers himself a co-founder, emphasizing that his early-stage capital, product decisions, and later leadership were constitutive of the company that actually shipped cars.
Unresolved: Whether 'co-founder' is historically accurate for individuals who joined after incorporation, or is a negotiated title.
Tesla lists on NASDAQ at $17 per share, selling 13.3 million shares to raise about $226 million — the first IPO by an American automaker since Ford in 1956. Shares closed up roughly 40% on the first day.
In later interviews, Eberhard describes being ousted, the personal toll, and his continued disagreement with how Tesla's founding is popularly told — an example of the founding story being re-litigated years afterward.
In 2023 interviews Eberhard reflected on being ousted, the two years he says he was 'basically unemployable' afterward, and his disagreement with how the founding is popularly narrated. (Placeholder summary; direct quotes to be attached.)
Ousted 2007; sued and settled 2009; recognized co-founder but estranged; later worked in EV/energy ventures and became an outside commentator.
Left ~2008; remained a recognized co-founder on good terms; later an investor/advisor.
Left 2004 to found Wrightspeed; recognized co-founder via the 2009 settlement.
Longest-serving; CTO until 2019; founded Redwood Materials; later returned to Tesla's board.
Chairman (2004), CEO (2008–), and the person most publicly associated with Tesla.