Seems fitting that a guy with no real talent, vision, or intellect would affix the name of America’s greatest (Serbian) inventor to his self-piloted, suicidal automobile.

Was this old when discovered that Nikola Tesla not only pioneered the AC system of electricity (inapposite to and more effective/efficient than Edison’s preferred DC) but his patent was also used to develop the radio, an invention for which an Italian named Marconi receives all the credit.

Law #7 – Never Do Yourself What Others Can Do For You; Let Others Work and then Claim the Credit

Tesla suffered from the ill/delusion that science and politics are separate, and that he could focus on the intellectual and disregard the petty.

Edison, Westinghouse, and Marconi taught him, painfully, the foolishness of this belief. 

Edison’s genius was not science but business; his name is forever associated with the invention of the light bulb, when in actuality all he did was finance the minds behind it. 

The lesson?  Credit for an idea / invention is equally important – if not more so – as the work itself, in addition to leveraging the work of others to further your goals. 

As with other goals, objectives, and intentions, secrecy is key. 
Establish and secure your position before declaring success, or risk everything in prideful haste.

Law #7 is the law of the jungle:  there are the apex predators, and there are carrion feeders. 
Some do the work of the hunt, others merely feed upon the carcass. 

Whether corporate or skilled trade, artistic or academic, one key to unlocking power is learning to delegate and then appropriate the labor of others. 

Sir Isaac Newton is credited with “discovering” gravity, and heralded as one of the greatest scientific minds of all time. 

However.

Sir Newton coined a phrase:  “Standing on the shoulders of giants.”  He learned to use the research, insights, and intellect of the great minds before his to build upon his own knowledge.  One need not reinvent the wheel to mold a tire. 

However.

Nixon is remembered for his 1972 diplomatic visit to China, a trip that would not have been possible without the statesmanship of his secretary of state, Henry Kissinger.  Nonetheless, Kissinger knew that he would solidify his reputation as a global facilitator if he stood in the shadows and allowed President Nixon to shine. 

As always, one must discern when to take credit, when to share it, and when to allow another to have it all.