Tesla was founded by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning before Elon Musk became its CEO.
Eberhard and Tarpenning established Tesla Motors in 2003 in California. Elon Musk joined the company as an early major investor and chairman, while JB Straubel and Ian Wright were also part of the founding team.
Tesla's first production vehicle was the Roadster, an electric sports car based on the Lotus Elise. The Model S later helped establish Tesla as a major maker of long-range electric cars.
A common mistake is to call Musk Tesla's founder. He was not among the two original founders, although his investment, leadership, and public association with the company became extremely important. Tesla changed its legal name from Tesla Motors to Tesla, Inc. in 2017.