Nikola Tesla (1856-1943 AD) was a Serbian-American inventor, electrical engineer, mechanical engineer, and futurist best known for his contributions to the design of the modern alternating current electricity supply system. Among his many discoveries, inventions and patents is the rotating magnetic field which is the basis of most alternating-current machinery. Though Tesla was famous and respected, he was never able to translate his copious inventions into long-term financial success, unlike his early employer and chief rival Thomas Edison.