The most awesome thing I think is that he basically invented the whole AC power system overnight, went home one night with an Idea & came back to Edison the next with circuit diagrams for pretty much the entire system (needed to be the whole system or else it would not have been adapted since it is incompatible with DC)

He did die a poor man & did get screwed over on patent fees but he also did earn a lot of money & live an excessive, luxurious lifestyle for a lot of that life too.