When Nikola Tesla arrived in the United States, his first job was at the Edison Machine Works, the company of Thomas Edison. Edison was a prominent figure at the time, having invented the electric light bulb and founded the world's first electricity company.
Tesla was hired to work at Edison's company as an electrical engineer. Edison soon recognized Tesla's talent and was impressed with his skills in electrical engineering. Edison gave Tesla a challenge: to improve the design of the company's direct current generator.
Tesla accepted the challenge and worked hard to improve the generator design. He developed a new induction coil, which allowed the generator to produce a more stable and smoother current. Edison was impressed with Tesla's work and rewarded him with a salary increase.
However, the relationship between Tesla and Edison was strained. Tesla often complained that Edison did not value his work and did not compensate him adequately. Edison, on the other hand, felt that Tesla did not have enough practical understanding of electricity.
In 1887, Tesla decided to leave the Edison Machine Works and start his own company, the Tesla Electric Company. This decision marked the beginning of a rivalry between Tesla and Edison, known as the War of the Currents.
Despite the tension between the two, Tesla learned much from his work at Edison's company. He honed his skills in electrical engineering and gained the confidence to found his own company. In addition, the experience of working at Edison's company motivated him to move on and continue developing his own inventions.