A closer look
History loves to paint Thomas Edison as a solitary genius illuminated by a glowing bulb, but he was really just a ruthless corporate shark. The actual concept of the incandescent light bulb had been around for decades, tinkered with by over 20 different inventors. Edison simply bought the patent from Henry Woodward and Mathew Evans in 1879, tweaked the filament so it wouldn't burn out instantly, and took all the historical credit. He was less Tony Stark and more an aggressive venture capitalist.
