Tesla and Marconi

At the beginning of the twentieth century, Tesla reached the highest fame and reputation. After a series of successful conferences, where he introduced to the world his new polyphase system of alternating current, the discovery of high-frequency currents and the main concepts of radio, March 13, 1895 Tesla's laboratory was burned. This fact undoubtedly was instrumental in breaking completely the pace of his research. At that moment he lost the models of vacuum tubes, high frequency generators and other equipment that also included Tesla’s radio system, the books, the records of the research results. It took much time before Tesla continued his research. Probably for this reason the presentation of patents in the field of radio transmission was late, it was spoken publicly in his lecture of 1893, finding that it had not been protected by patent until 1897. That’s why a year before Tesla, Marconi had presented a patent on the modified apparatus of Hertz using the idea of Tesla. Moreover, Marconi had used only a part of the new radio concept that Tesla had already revealed in 1893, however, Marconi had not used according to Tesla, an important condition: the use of high frequency and resonance in the system continuously. Tesla’s patents on devices and systems for the transmission of energy without wires in 1897 were far ahead of the system of Marconi and with these patents Tesla had protected the system of four circuits that became the basis of the technology of synchronized radio and then became the modern technology of the radio.

In 1900, Nikola Tesla decided to go further and build a global system for the wireless transmission of energy and messages. On his return to New York from Colorado Springs, Tesla financially supported by the most powerful man in the United States JP Morgan had begun to build the great station on Long Island near New York. The maximum creativity of Tesla in the radio was the realization of his great creation that is the wireless transfer of energy to the circle in the Center of the World Radio. But at the beginning of construction in 1901, the news came that Marconi had already sent signals across the Atlantic. Morgan had doubts about Tesla and revealed what Marconi had done was feasible for him a long time ago, but Tesla wanted much more. For Morgan, this was a major blow and after this betrayal did not want to know more about Tesla, until his death. This provoked bitter financial destruction of Tesla because other lenders nullified their assistance, so again Tesla was left to the fate. For years he had insisted to finish his great project but, pressed by financial problems had to give up and to do research in the field of mechanics.

When he was asked why he had not defended his rights on wireless telegraphy and telephony, especially when Marconi publicly began to flaunt his invention, Tesla said:

Marconi was my assistant. He knew all my work ... My patents were not protected because I hate patents. What is the use of patents, what is the use of the rights? I sent my ideas for the benefit of humanity. It is enough for me to have a good laboratory, a place for sleeping and food. I do not need money.