Tesla's father, Milutin, was an Orthodox priest within the village of Smiljan. Tesla later wrote that he grew to become serious about demonstrations of electricity by his physics professor.[b] Tesla noted that these demonstrations of this "mysterious phenomena" created him want "to find out far more of the amazing drive".

With the help of partners to finance and market his ideas, Tesla build laboratories and firms in Ny to create An array of electrical and mechanical products. His AC induction motor and relevant polyphase AC patents, licensed by Westinghouse Electric in 1888, gained him a considerable amount of money and have become the cornerstone on website the polyphase program which that company inevitably promoted.