Steve Jobs will never be destitute and alone in a hotel. At worst, he’ll be broke and alone in a hotel for about five minutes, and then he’ll write an incredibly brilliant business plan on the back of a napkin and get the night watchman to invest his life savings in it.
Though Tesla himself made a "mint" selling his AC patents to Westinghouse in the 1890s, according to the article, then proceeded to squander his fortune thereafter.
I am not sure that was true. Many biographies I read said that he gave away his patents or at least sold them for a very low price when Westinghouse complained that he was losing money, and ask Tesla to help him as a friend.
I am not sure whether "squander" is the right word to use here. To a Scientiest as ambitious and risk taking as tesla, a failed experiement would mean loosing wealth. But when you consider that all those failed experiments could have inspired/helped future generations, i find the word in appropriate.
just my first thought when i read it. no negativity intended.
OK, good point, no negativity taken (actually, I was just tracking what the article said - the various comments here have made me want to learn a lot more about Tesla, an obviously fascinating person about whom I knew very little up to this point).
Cool. It was a Big Surprise to me that I haven't learned about Tesla & his inventions even after "studying" science for so many years.
So far!
Hah. It'd be quite impressive if either of them manages to squander their astronomical fortunes. Then again, they're both talented people.