Tesla cofounder JB Straubel's early pitch to Elon Musk was rejected before they built a $1.3 trillion company together
By
Rachel Ventresca
Summary
The article tells the origin story of Tesla through the lens of JB Straubel, the company's cofounder and the architect of its core battery and powertrain technology. It recounts how Straubel, a Stanford engineer obsessed with electric vehicles, initially struggled to get anyone to take his ideas seriously — including Elon Musk, who passed on his first pitch. Despite the rocky start, Straubel eventually joined forces with Musk to build Tesla into a $1.3 trillion company. The piece explores Straubel's early hobbyist work building solar-powered vehicles, his fateful meeting with Musk, and his subsequent role as the technical backbone of Tesla's success, before his departure and current work at Redwood Materials.
Source
bskyTesla cofounder JB Straubel's early pitch to Elon Musk was rejected before they built a $1.3 trillion company togetherfortune.comKey quotes
· 2 pulledJB Straubel had spent years building solar-powered vehicles in his spare time 'basically as a hobby,' he told Fortune earlier this month on the sidelines of its Brainstorm Tech conference in Aspen. 'That was sort of my pathway into becoming passionate about electric vehicles, and then also meeting Elon, ultimately.'
When he made his first pitch to the now world's...
You might also wanna read
Musk recounts origin story in opening testimony of OpenAI trial against Altman
Elon Musk testified on the first day of his high-profile trial against OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman, positioning himself as a savior. Musk s
The Verge·2mo ago
The Forgotten Half: The 5 Co-Founders Who Built Billion-Dollar Empires In Silence
Elon Musk becomes world's first trillionaire after SpaceX's record $1.77 trillion IPO
Elon Musk has become the world's first trillionaire following SpaceX's record-breaking IPO, which valued the company at $1.77 trillion — the
Rolling Stone·25d ago
Elon Musk Becomes First Trillionaire After SpaceX's Record-Breaking IPO
Elon Musk became the world's first trillionaire after SpaceX went public in the largest IPO ever, priced at $135 per share. The stock opened
Deadline·25d ago
Elon Musk becomes world's first trillionaire after SpaceX IPO
Elon Musk has become the world's first trillionaire after SpaceX's IPO (ticker: SPCX) pushed his net worth past the trillion-dollar mark. Hi
The Verge·25d ago
Tesla Leaves Small Businesses with Millions in Unpaid Bills, Report Reveals
The article highlights the financial struggles of dozens of small businesses that partnered with Tesla, only to be left with millions in unp
cnn.com·11mo ago
Comments
Sign in to join the conversation.
No comments yet. Be the first.