![](https://fortune.com/img-assets/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/GettyImages-81778520-e1721337948718.jpg?resize=1200,600)
How Tesla survived its early years—with a little help from Arnold Schwarzenegger
Before Elon Musk, came M&M. Martin Eberhard earned a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering from the University of Illinois in 1982 before beginning his career in the Silicon Valley. There he met Marc Tarpenning who also earned a bachelor’s degree …