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.

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