Nikola Tesla FBI File: What's Actually in the Declassified Records

Tesla died alone in a New York hotel room on January 7, 1943. Within days, the Office of Alien Property — a wartime custodian agency — took possession of his effects, even though Tesla was a naturalized U.S. citizen and not an enemy alien. The Bureau's file documents internal discussion about whether Tesla's papers contained anything of military value, correspondence with other agencies, and an assessment by MIT professor John G. Trump, who examined the materials and concluded they contained no working device or plans of significant military use. The rest of the file accumulated over the following decades: letters from the public, inquiries from researchers, and repeated FOIA requests asking whether the government still held Tesla's "death ray" or particle-beam designs. The FBI's own summary states plainly that it did not seize Tesla's property and that the Office of Alien Property handled it.

• ▸Memos and correspondence about the Office of Alien Property taking custody of Tesla's effects after his death in January 1943
• ▸A wartime technical evaluation concluding Tesla's papers were largely speculative and contained no usable military device
• ▸Discussion of Tesla's nephew, Sava Kosanović, and concerns about materials leaving the country during the war
• ▸Decades of public letters and FOIA requests asking about a "death ray" or particle-beam weapon
• ▸FBI statements clarifying that the Bureau never confiscated Tesla's property or writings
• ▸Media clippings and reference material about Tesla collected over time

• ✗"The FBI seized Tesla's papers." It did not. The Office of Alien Property took custody of his effects; the FBI's role was largely advisory and documentary.
• ✗"The file proves a death ray existed." The file records that people asked about it and that a wartime evaluation found no working device. Speculation in the file is not evidence.
• ✗"Tesla was under FBI investigation." There is no investigation of Tesla as a subject during his lifetime in these records.

1. 1943
   Tesla dies in New York on January 7. The Office of Alien Property takes custody of his belongings within days.
2. 1943
   A technical review of the materials concludes they contain no working weapon or plans of immediate military value.
3. 1950s–1980s
   Public letters and inquiries about Tesla's alleged death ray accumulate in Bureau files.
4. 2016–2018
   The FBI releases the Tesla file in parts through its online Vault after sustained FOIA pressure.

Was Nikola Tesla investigated by the FBI?

No. Tesla was not the subject of an FBI investigation during his lifetime. The file concerns what happened to his papers after his death in 1943.

Did the FBI seize Tesla's papers?

No. The Office of Alien Property took custody of Tesla's effects. The FBI's own release states the Bureau did not confiscate his property.

Does Tesla's FBI file mention a death ray?

It mentions public and internal questions about a particle-beam or "death ray" concept, but it contains no evidence of a working device.

Where can I read Nikola Tesla's FBI file?

The released records are available through the FBI Vault link on this page.

Always consult the primary source. Public records may include redactions, allegations, and unverified informant claims.

Note: FBI Vault document previews sometimes fail to load. If the preview is stuck, use the “Download PDF” button on the FBI page.