Martin Eberhard

American entrepreneur

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July 16, 2026

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Martin Eberhard is an American entrepreneur best known as a cofounder of Tesla Motors, the electric car company. He studied computer and electrical engineering at the University of Illinois. Before cofounding Tesla Motors in 2003 with Marc Tarpenning, Eberhard cofounded NuvoMedia, an e-book venture that produced the Rocket eBook. Tesla Motors aimed to develop an electric sports car, and with funding from figures like Elon Musk, they unveiled the Tesla Roadster in 2006. Eberhard served as CEO and president of technology at Tesla Motors until late 2007. The company was named in honor of inventor Nikola Tesla, who pioneered alternating-current machinery.1

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Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning
Eberhard grew up in Kensington, Calif., and studied at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he earned a bachelor’s degree (1982) in computer engineering and a master’s degree (1984) in electrical engineering. He then held a number of positions, including electrical engineer at Wyse…
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Eberhard grew up in Kensington, Calif., and studied at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he earned a bachelor’s degree (1982) in computer engineering and a master’s degree (1984) in electrical engineering. He then held a number of positions, including electrical engineer at Wyse…
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Tesla, Inc.
…in 2003 by American entrepreneurs Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning and was named after Serbian American inventor Nikola Tesla. It quickly became one of the most recognizable car brands in the world.
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…in 2003 by American entrepreneurs Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning and was named after Serbian American inventor Nikola Tesla. It quickly became one of the most recognizable car brands in the world.
Read More