He didn't invent AC current, radar, X-Rays, or a death ray. You've taken an interesting historical figure that greatly contributed to his field and turned him into some ridiculous superhero.
Actually yes. He was genius but also morally and ethically bankrupt. The man couldn't hold a home and lived in a luxury hotel room for the latter portion of his life that he habitually couldn't afford. He renegaded on every contract he was entrusted to keep and never saw through on his promises of profit for any investor who was blinded by brilliant ideas. He routinely tried to turn every invention he owned into a weapon (Radio controlled boats. Why? So he could attack anyone who came near the coast with futuristic tech)
Oh and the Death Ray? He did invent that, or at least everyone including him believed he did. He scaled up a tesla coil and "invented" a way to direct the energy over miles. He claimed it would "-bring down a fleet of 10,000 enemy airplanes at a distance of 250 miles." as well as "-cause armies of millions to drop dead in their tracks."
Why did he build it? Because he was broke from abandoning several big projects and no entity would give him money anymore. He offered up a "Death Ray" to the US government but they had loss faith in him (especially when he admitted alot of the technology he'd need wasn't exist yet) So when they turned him down, he went to foreign governments and even enemy nations of the US offering them the exact same weapon. even they turned him down because of his reputation.
Finally when secret agents ransacked his hotel looking for the plans and found absolutely nothing, he confessed that he hadn't written them down and "kept them in his head" because he didn't trust anyone. Hero. right.
Personally I wouldn’t quite demonize the man, but he does get made into a folk hero vs a real and flawed human. It’s darkly humorous that part of his pop culture appeal is based on how others “unfairly took credit for his work...” it even says above how he got no credit for WiFi or radar or... but... Hedy Lamarr was a famous actress who invented concepts and technologies still at the backbone of modern wireless. Hertz was instrumental to radar- they named the frequency “hertz” after the guy. But in the quest to “give Tesla his due” people overlook the contributions of these people and give them to Tesla- the same thing Edison and others in life or legacy are accused of doing to him.
The truth is that invention is seldom a singular pursuit. The Wright brothers are credited as “inventing” the airplane- but certain principals of physics and design, the engine powering the plane, and all that went in to those things weren’t invented by the Wrights were they? Inventors often build off or ante inspired by the work of others, and its very common for an idea to be had by multiple people at once or close together- sometimes one person does a better job implode ting it for the needs of the time, marketing it, or for some other reason one invention or its inventor stands out above the others and is remembered by history. When a breakthrough “cure” for a disease is found- the “et.al” tend to get forgotten and one person become the face- the person who “cured” xyz.
This recent meme controversy with the young woman who “made the picture” of the black hole is so recent and so in line with the culture of memes etc that it’s surprising the lesson would be so soon forgotten. Despite tropes of fiction like “Tony Stark” it is seldom one person alone doing all the work or even coming up with all the major contributions in a scientific project. We like having a “front person” or a star to put a face to- band sometimes rarely one contributor is so great that they could do what they do with any half way competent team behind them- but most often science is collaboration and evolution of a sustained group effort. Tesla is no different. One man- arguably a brilliant man, but not the sole bearer of credit for moving science forward.
Finally when secret agents ransacked his hotel looking for the plans and found absolutely nothing, he confessed that he hadn't written them down and "kept them in his head" because he didn't trust anyone. Hero. right.