“This guy was so much more brilliant than Edison. In some regards, Edison was a punk and a copycat.”
Tesla was an errant genius and brilliant, mostly in an abstract way. Yes, his concepts for A/C power systems (motors, dynamos, transformers) were commercially realized, but what else outside of that field? His idea for wireless power distribution [Tesla coil] that everyone swoons over is still impractical even 100 years later because of the rate that radiant power diminishes relative to distance.
Edison spawned a broad range of industries that still affect our lives a century later. He is credited with over 1,000 inventions, and among the best was his concept of a research and development laboratory. Edison was empirical yes, but he was a pragmatist. Who goes farther, the dreamer or the doer? “Genius is 1% inspiration, 99% perspiration”. Edison’s lab was collaborative, nothing wrong with that. Most “invention” is a progression of other’s ideas. He guided research along promising lines, regardless where the idea originated. There are very few “bolt from the blue” inventions.
Tesla died broke, obscure and crazy. Edison died the opposite. So, who’s the genius, practically speaking?
Edison of course. But Tesla is now the patron saint of crackpots. I don't think Tesla was a crackpot. He was a brilliant inventor who suffered from mental illness and ended up being his own worst enemy. Tesla didn't face circumstances any worse than any other inventor of his time. He was a rich man at one point and had the financial backing of Westinghouse.