Elon Musk did not name nor found Tesla; he bought the name for $75,000 from a stubborn owner in Sacramento through persistent negotiation. The real founders of Tesla were Martin Eberhard and Mark Tarpenning.

Musk's life as a billionaire entrepreneur sounds like the start of a Hollywood blockbuster. And in reality, Musk's personality and accomplishments were partly used as inspiration for Robert Downey Jr's portrayal of Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.