Elon Musk is credited as Tesla's founder. But was he really there in the beginning? We answer this and many other questions on this TOP 5 facts you didn't know about Tesla. Find out what is behind Tesla's meteoric rise since it was founded in 2003. After difficulties in the early years, the company took off and became the most valuable carmaker in the World, even though it has a smaller market share, production capacity and revenues. Here are some of the secrets behind the company.