Who?

Today recognised as a genius so exceptional that both Croatia (where he was born) and Serbia (where he is buried) fight over which country can legitimately claim him as a native son, Tesla died alone and near bankruptcy in a New York hotel room at the age of 86. He made his fortune from his many patents and inventions including power turbines that produce alternating current, without which cheap and abundant electric power would be impossible. The turbines, dynamos and machines Tesla developed are the beating hearts of our civilisation, pumping energy through copper arteries to power our lives.

Why?

Although hugely financially successful, much of Tesla's genius was unrecognised until after his death, and many of his claimed achievements were openly ridiculed in the press. An often-rumoured Nobel Prize eluded him. One of his key patrons, George Westinghouse, cut off funding for his prized project -- technology that can wirelessly transmit energy -- because he believed it unworkable. Often his only companions were the pigeons he fed on his daily walks to the park. Genius is a sometimes lonely and thankless role but human progress results from those who seek to discover new truths, not from those who seek acceptance and recognition.

Why we love them...

Tesla inspires us to challenge conventional wisdom and to shun groupthink in favour of a sometimes-lonely embrace of contrarianism. In a world filled with approval-seeking yes-men, being true to yourself, your ideals, and your beliefs can be an act of courage. At BRIX, we're never afraid to zig when the rest of the world is zagging!