37
Elon Musk Didn’t Start Tesla So Who Actually Founded It? (moztako.me)
submitted 1 month ago by to c/fedia@fedia.io
26 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

Tesla founders Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning started the company before Elon Musk joined. Discover how Tesla evolved and why Musk became its most famous co-founder.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] [S] 0 points 1 month ago (10 children)

I think we’re discussing two different things here: the historical facts and how the term “cofounder” is used in different contexts. My point wasn’t to erase or rewrite the contributions of the original founders. It was simply that terminology can sometimes be used more broadly depending on the context. If you disagree, that’s completely fine the historical record is what matters

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 10 child comments
    •
  • [–] 2 points 1 month ago (9 children)

    Except that in this case, the historical facts determine which terminology is used. That IS the context. The historical record contradicts your use of the terms.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 9 child comments
    •
  • [–] [S] 1 point 1 month ago (8 children)

    That’s fair, but historical facts and terminology aren’t always as straightforward as you’re making them sound. The important thing is to distinguish between the documented role someone played in a company’s creation and how the term “founder” is used later. That’s why I think the context matters rather than treating the term as having only one possible interpretation

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 8 child comments
    •
  • [–] 1 point 1 month ago (7 children)

    Except that you're ignoring the fact that the "documented role" Elon Musk has played...is a lie. The timeline can't be changed, no matter how many pamphlets they print, saying he was there from the start. He wasn't. A fact that's also "documented".

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 7 child comments
    •
  • [–] [S] 1 point 1 month ago

    So the point isn’t to rewrite the timeline. It’s to acknowledge that the word “founderhas been used differently in different historical accounts. The documented facts are more nuanced than either side of this argument suggests

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • [–] [S] 1 point 1 month ago

    But saying that his role in Tesla’s creation is simply alie is also an oversimplification. Tesla itself has historically described Musk and JB Straubel as part of a broader founding team, and Tesla’s current filings describe Musk as “one of our founders

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • [–] [S] 1 point 1 month ago (4 children)

    I’m not ignoring the timeline. In fact, the timeline is exactly why the distinction matters. Musk did not create Tesla from nothing in 2003 Eberhard and Tarpenning were already involved in founding the company. Musk joined in 2004, led the Series A investment, became chairman, and later became CEO

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 4 child comments
    •
  • [–] 1 point 1 month ago (3 children)

    So...you agree that he wasn't involved in founding the company. He just likes to say he was, "on paper".

    They aren't even "reinventing" what the term "founder" means...they're just calling him one, even though he didn't actually "found" the company.

    This isn't hard to understand. These mental gymnastics you keep going through in order to avoid the truth, is really weird to watch. It's like out-of-control copium.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 3 child comments
    •
  • [–] [S] 1 point 1 month ago

    So yes, Eberhard and Tarpenning were there at the beginning. But Tesla’s own historical descriptions have also recognized Musk and others as part of the broader founding team. The disagreement is really about what we mean by “founder,” not about whether Musk was involved in Tesla’s early creation.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • [–] [S] 1 point 1 month ago (1 child)

    I think we’re actually closer on the facts than you realize. I never said Musk founded Tesla by himself or that he was there from day one. My point is that reducing his role to simply “being on paper” is also inaccurate. He joined very early, led the Series A investment, became chairman, and played a major role in shaping the company that Tesla became

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 1 child comment
    •
  • [–] 1 point 1 month ago

    No, we're not actually closer on "the facts". You're still operating on a set of "alternative facts" that are contradicted by the actual historical timeline.

    Musk was an early investor in a company that was already founded by other people. That is a very important distinction between reality and the fiction that Musk wants people to believe.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent