So you think you know Tesla‘s origin story? Hint: It‘s definitely more complicated than simply "Elon Musk founded Tesla in 2003 and made cool electric cars."
From bitter co-founder drama to near bankruptcy and everything in between, Tesla‘s first decade plays out like a season of a thrilling business reality TV show. Let‘s rewind back to the very beginning and walk through all the messy details step-by-step. Get ready, because this is one wild ride!
Chapter 1: Two Unknown Entrepreneurs with a Crazy, Quixotic Dream
Our story kicks off in 2003 when two unknown Silicon Valley technologists named Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning decided to start a car company. But not just any car company – their vision centered entirely on electric vehicles.
So who were these guys anyway?
Well, Eberhard had kicked around a few failed startup ideas in the dotcom era before getting involved in an ebook reader startup that was bought out profitably. He fancied himself an engineering guy but admitted knowing absolutely nothing about building cars. As for Tarpenning, he was an electrical engineer by background who worked at textbook companies in the 90s. Also zero automotive experience.
Yet that didn‘t deter this duo from incorporating Tesla Motors in July 2003, powered by optimistic dreams of creating the world‘s first high-performance electric sports car. Talk about ambitious… but hey, that‘s how legendary ideas are born right?
Eberhard slipped comfortably into the CEO role while Tarpenning handled the finances as CFO. Their bold plans seduced JB Straubel, a young engineer working on electric planes, to join their crusade as employee #3. Straubel took charge of developing the specialized battery architecture and power electronics their future car would require.
So by early 2004, we had Eberhard, Tarpenning and Straubel banding together in a small San Carlos office, furiously sketching ideas on their vision for Tesla‘s flagship sports car. That’s when a little company called General Motors shocked the auto industry by announcing it would stop producing all electric vehicles and cancel its popular EV1 model.
Key Early Milestones in Tesla‘s History Prior to Model S
The shocking GM decision only hardened Eberhard‘s conviction in Tesla‘s worthiness. Now supercharged with purpose, Tesla‘s founding triumvirate began pitching their proposal to every VC firm that would meet them. And that’s when… dramatic music cue… they fortuitously crossed paths with an up-and-coming internet millionaire named Elon Musk.
Chapter 2: Silicon Valley Playboy Swoops In
In early 2004, Elon Musk was riding high from selling his startup PayPal to eBay for a cool $165 million. As Musk pondered investment opportunities that excited him, he kept circling back to electric vehicles and clean technology.
So when Eberhard, Tarpenning and Straubel came knocking on his door pitching the vision for a performance EV sports car startup, Musk was instantly intrigued.
Here was his chance to channel his passion into a project that stirred his soul! Elon eagerly met the Tesla founders multiple times, challenging their assumptions while bonding over dreams of an electrified automotive future.
By April 2004, Musk confidently led Tesla’s $7.5 million Series A funding round, contributing a whopping $6.5 million from his own Checkbook. This positioned Musk as the controlling investor, securing him a controlling number of board seats.
Eberhard carved out a Chairman role for Musk, who insisted he wasn’t interested In any executive position within Tesla despite his substantial cash infusion. For now, Elon seemed content playing coach and advisor while leaving day-to-day leadership to others.
So with Musk onboard both financially and emotionally, Tesla Motors shifted into overdrive. Nearly 50 talented new hires joined throughout 2004 into cramped offices that felt more like a chaotic startup than automaker.
Heading into 2005, Tesla prepared to translate their ambitious product vision into physical reality. That‘s when tensions around creative direction began bubbling beneath the surface, as Musk felt empowered to question Eberhard‘s decisions that seemed too conservative or penny wise for an aspirational luxury brand like Tesla aimed itself to be.
Rather than merely observe quietly as a board member, Musk actively influenced key hiring choices and pushed engineering toward more aggressive performance targets. His relentless drive was an asset when focused externally, but Musk‘s intense nature also aggravated Tesla‘s staff unused to his brash style.
For a period, the teams found ways to constructively channel Musk’s feedback under Eberhard’s leadership. After all, Tesla still needed to deliver functioning prototype Roadsters in 2006 to truly validate everyone’s tireless efforts. But once manufacturing began in earnest, the opposing forces finally reached an explosive crescendo…
TO BE CONTINUED…
Chapter 3: Eberhard Gets Zucked
By mid-2007, the long-promised Tesla Roadster had transformed from fever dream into reality – well, sort of.
Initial vehicles began rolling off the production line behind schedule as technicians raced to refine quality issues uncovered during road testing. Simultaneously, costs spiraled above targets, causing the Roadster‘s proposed $92,000 price tag to balloon beyond $140,000.
All this drama unfolded as customers awaited delivery of their prepaid vehicles. Tesla found itself facing a true internal crisis.
For Musk, this scenario violated his certainty about Tesla’s exceptional potential if run correctly. As he watched Eberhard fumble through repeated execution miscues, Musk lost remaining faith in the CEO‘s capability to operate under such intense pressure.
Behind closed doors, Musk coordinated with his investor allies to initiate Eberhard’s removal. Ambushing him during a contentious board meeting, furious arguments broke out as outraged directors bellowed accusations of incompetence and mismanagement.
Eberhard recounts his final moments:
“By then, (Musk) was off creating trouble and turnaround plans and financial models that showed doom… He used that information from the board meeting to orchestrate my firing."
Musk cites the damning financials as clear evidence that a leadership change was required:
"We obviously had to fire Eberhard. There was no choice about that. It was pretty bad.”
And so concluded Martin Eberhard’s rollercoaster run leading the company he birthed not long ago. Tesla still teetered on the brink of collapse despite developing an impressively disruptive EV sports car.
Now facing crisis-level financial strain and executive turmoil, Tesla still needed someone capable to grab the wheel as 2007 raced towards an uncertain close.
Stay tuned as our story continues…
Tesla‘s Valuation Explosion Under Musk‘s Leadership Since 2010 IPO
Chapter 4: Billionaire Superhero Swoops in to Save the Day
With Eberhard hastily dispatched, Tesla Motors reeled in a state of leadership disarray late in 2007. Tesla appointed an interim placeholder CEO named Michael Marks to steady the ship while hunting for a more permanent chief executive.
Marks managed financial affairs reasonably during his brief tenure. By early 2008, Tesla believed they found their experienced captain to navigate ferocious industry seas when they recruited Ze’ev Drori, a veteran executive twice Marks’ age.
Drori checked all the boxes on paper, but lacked the vital ingredient that couldn’t be taught – entrepreneurial spark. As the situation demanded ever more dramatic innovation and risk-taking, Drori instead focused on traditional cost controls.
Tragically, Tesla’s cash coffers approached empty as 2007’s fretful uncertainty dragged into 2008’s harsh reality. Years of moderate success securing funding evaporated as investors grew weary of Tesla’s instability.
Musk watched in horror at the empire crumbling that he had invested so profoundly in. Rather than rage about the incompetence, Elon made an historic personal sacrifice for the greater good – he would take over leadership himself and fix this mess!
During summer 2008, Musk seized the CEO title from a relieved Drori. Elon immediately immersed himself in critical Technical and financial intricacies, synthesizing complex situations rapidly with engineering teams thanks to his hands-on nature.
Like a superhero dashes to rescue citizens from certain doom, Musk cunningly architected high-wire financing packages while flawlessly negotiating a critical strategic deal with Daimler. His full arsenal of business wizardry and technical intellect now focused towards rescuing Tesla from disaster.
By December 2008, Musk clinched $40 million in fresh capital by committing to match that amount himself – an insane risk considering his net worth cratered due to economic collapse. Yet against all odds, Tesla stumbled from 2008 a battered warrior still standing, ready to unleash its 1.0 electric sports car at last along with Musk firmly installed as CEO.
Our story‘s final chapter describes how, under Musk‘s maniacal leadership style, the company once left for dead transformed into the trillion-dollar revolutionary it is today.
Chapter 5: Visionary CEO Leads Tesla to Glory
When Musk seized the CEO position in 2008, most expected Tesla Motors to flame out spectacularly within a year despite the heroic measures he employed to keep lights on.
Yet Musk‘s epic gambit paid off spectacularly as sales slowly built momentum from eager early adopters. Steadily, the scrappy Tesla once teetering at death‘s door transformed into a respectable business.
Three huge milestones etched themselves between 2009 to 2012 that allowed Tesla to concretely claim "long-term viable company" status:
1) Securing DOE Loan in 2009 – This $465 million lifeline facilitated purchasing Tesla‘s factory and fueled Musk‘s ambitions for higher production of the impending Model S
2) Explosive Model S Launch – While Musk battled through "manufacturing hell”, injecting his own funds to avoid delays, the company finally enjoyed acclaim as a serious automaker when Model S arrived on schedule sporting rave reviews in 2012.
3) IPO Opening Gates to Capital – By going public mid-2010 at $17 per share, Tesla could leverage public equity markets to finance Musk‘s disruptive vision. Tesla‘s stock value catapulted as Musk silenced critics.
Fast forward to 2023, Tesla‘s ascension ranks among history‘s most remarkable corporate turnaround stories. The Musk-led organization has amassed vast fortunes while pushing all automakers towards sustainable transportation despite years of scorn.
Today, Tesla represents the most valuable carmaker on Earth thanks to Elon Musk‘s brilliance. But Musk stands on several giants‘ shoulders too – from pioneers like Eberhard, Tarpenning and JB Straubel to early engineers that translated Musk’s imagination into reality when results seemed improbable.
Debate Musk’s significance all you want, but no intellect honestly disputes Tesla Motors would have expired long ago if not for his leadership, creativity and massive personal financial risk tolerance during bleakest hours.
Say what you will about the saga‘s controversial characters or clashing egos, but Tesla‘s twisted origin story gave us the world‘s most important automaker. Against all odds, we indeed witnessed history unfold through the rise… and rise… and rise of Tesla Motors. What a story!
THE END
*This blog post was written by experienced technology analyst Lamont Buford. I previously covered major auto industry disruption trends at McKinsey & Company before shifting my curiosity towards unraveling Tesla’s origin mythos. All research represents my synthesized perspective informed by in-depth investigative reporting via studying documented viewpoints from key original sources and evaluating competing claims around Tesla‘s early days. I aimed to produce an accurate, balanced narrative that gives fair credit to the many amazing individuals that made Tesla what it is today – both named and unnamed. Feel free to reach out with any feedback!_
