Fact Check: Is the post claiming to show Nikola Tesla real?

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: A viral quote has been widely shared on social media, claiming to capture the final words of scientist and inventor Nikola Tesla, presenting it as a heartfelt message reflecting on his life, work, and personal relationships. The claim has prompted questions about whether the words are really linked to Tesla. Let us fact-check the claim.

Claim: Nikola Tesla's last words to his mother revealed

The rumor that surfaced this month claimed to quote Serbian-American inventor Nikola Tesla as his last words before he died in 1943. The quote attributed to Tesla is reportedly his final message, addressed to his mother, in which he reflects on his life and claims that his years of serving mankind brought him 'nothing but insults and humiliation.'

The quote posted on an X account claiming to be his last words reads, “All these years that I had spent in the service of mankind brought me nothing but insults and humiliation."

A similar post on Facebook shared a longer version of the quote, reading, “I wish I could be beside you now mother, to bring you the glass of water. All these years I have spent in the service of mankind brought me nothing but insults and humiliation."

The claim has spread across various platforms, including Threads, Quora, 9GAG, and Tumblr, and has even gained traction on YouTube, with videos showcasing his purported letters to his mother.

Fact Check: False, the letter has nothing to do with Nikola Tesla

However, there is no clear evidence to support the authenticity of Tesla’s alleged last words.

The claim lacks support from historical records, archival documentation, or reputable sources.

A leading expert on Tesla's life even confirmed that he never made such a statement. 

The claim originated from a letter that Tesla allegedly wrote to his mother. Still, Google search results in English and Serbian showed that the quote did not appear online before January 1, 2015.

An article on a Croatian blog published on January 15 claimed to feature 'the first English translation of Nikola Tesla's last letter.' The letter was also featured in an English-language article published in March 2015 by Telegraf.rs, a Serbian news outlet.

But the article included a disclaimer, which reads, 'IMPORTANT: The authenticity of this letter has never been confirmed...'

In March 2015, referencing an article from the Serbian fact-checking website FakeNews.rs, Telegraf.rs published a correction in Serbian, stating, "The letter circulating on the Internet is not Tesla's last letter to his mother."

The Nikola Tesla Museum in Belgrade even confirmed that the alleged letter had 'nothing to do with Tesla.'

Nikola Tesla's contributions

Tesla is known for his contributions to the design of the modern alternating current (AC) electricity supply system.

Born and raised in the Austrian Empire, he migrated to the United States, where he became a naturalized citizen. He worked for a short time at the Edison Machine Works in New York City before he struck out on his own.

With the help of partners to finance and market his ideas, Tesla set up laboratories and companies in New York to develop a range of electrical and mechanical devices.