America!After several unsuccessful jobs with German and French electrical power companies where he tried to improve their DC generators, 29-year-old Tesla came to New York City with four cents in his pocket.
Nikola went to Thomas Edison with a letter of recommendation from a business associate of Edison's that read, "My Dear Edison: I know two great men and you are one of them. The other is this young man!"
Tesla tried to describe his plans for an alternating current generator but Edison did not care to hear of it because it seemed to be only competition for his already famous and widely-used DC generator. Edison hired Tesla anyway.
www.pbs.orgTesla claimed later that Edison had promised him $50,000 if he was able to improve the DC plants in New York. Months later, Tesla was finished. However, Edison explained that the proposed $50,000 had been made in jest and said "When you become a full-fledged American you will appreciate an American joke." Tesla resigned.
During this time word had begun to travel that "a foreigner of unusual talent was digging ditches to stay alive"(www.pbs.org). Investors began to contact Tesla offering him money to improve the current method of arc lightning. This was enough for the European to form the Tesla Electric Light Company.