What did the declassified documents reveal?

Cold Open. This is a reading from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Freedom of Information Act release, file number one hundred two two three seven, dated September twenty-four, nineteen forty. The document compiles one hundred and fifty‑six pages of material concerning the inventor Nikola Tesla, including a 1940 newspaper article, correspondence about his proposed “teleforce” weapon, and a later memorandum on the handling of Tesla’s estate after his death. The record is notable because it reveals the United States government’s interest in Tesla’s alleged death‑ray technology and the subsequent disposition of his personal effects. Provenance. The material was released under a Freedom of Information Act request, case number not specified, and made public on the Internet in two thousand sixteen by The Black Vault. The declassification authority is the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, J. Edgar Hoover, as indicated in the header of the release. The full text is available at theblackvault.com and the canonical archive link is https://archive.org/download/2016-fbi-foia-declassified-nikola-tesla-documents-351-pages/2016FBIFOIANikola%20Tesla-1856-1943%20(351%20pages)djvu.txt. The Document. The release opens with a standard Freedom of Information Act header: “Freedom of Information Release On Subject: Nikola Tesla, File #: one hundred two two three seven, Pages Reviewed – one hundred sixty, Pages Released – one hundred sixty, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Justice, Attn. Mr. J. Edgar Hoover, Washington, D. C.” The accompanying memorandum notes that the attached article was printed in the New York Times on September twenty‑second, nineteen forty, and that the writer believed the content to be of vital importance to the Department of War and to nations under dictatorial control. The article describes Tesla’s claim that he has perfected a “teleforce” – a device the writer calls a “death ray” – capable of projecting a beam with a potential of fifty million volts. According to Tesla, the beam would be a “very great electrical force” confined to a cross‑section of one hundred‑millionth of a square centimeter, capable of melting aircraft engines at a distance of two hundred fifty miles. He asserts that a single plant, costing two million dollars and constructed in three months, could generate the beam, and that a dozen such plants positioned along the coast would render the United States “absolutely impregnable against any air attack.” Tesla stipulates that, should the government accept his offer, he would work without “interference from experts.” The memorandum continues with a recommendation that the government consider commissioning the teleforce plant, arguing that the cost of two million dollars is negligible compared with the billions earmarked for air defense, and that even a one‑in‑one hundred‑thousand chance of success would justify the investment. The writer, who claims to have known Tesla for many years, attests…

Why was this case declassified?

This material entered the public record through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. The originating source document is linked on this page so the citation chain is auditable.

Official FBI FOIA Declassified Nikola Tesla Documents Combined ( 351 Pages)

◆ BLUF — The short version

Cold Open. This is a reading from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Freedom of Information Act release, file number one hundred two two three seven, dated September twenty-four, nineteen forty.

Date: JUL 18 · 2026
Release: Declassified · U.S. public record (FOIA)
Source document: View the primary source document

↯ Dispatch — press play2:45

0:002:45

↯ Share

X in r/

Episode notes

Cold Open. This is a reading from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Freedom of Information Act release, file number one hundred two two three seven, dated September twenty-four, nineteen forty. The document compiles one hundred and fifty‑six pages of material concerning the inventor Nikola…

View the primary source document

Questions about this case

What was Official FBI FOIA Declassified Nikola Tesla Documents Combined ( 351 Pages) about?: Cold Open. This is a reading from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Freedom of Information Act release, file number one hundred two two three seven, dated September twenty-four, nineteen forty.
Why was this case declassified?: This material entered the public record through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. Storyflo narrates it directly from the public release.

intelligence-vault

Related cases

✉ Dispatches

A short dispatch when a new file is released — narrated, answer-first, and linked straight to the primary source. No spam; unsubscribe anytime.

↯ Subscribe to the feed

RSS feed Browse all cases

Official FBI FOIA Declassified Nikola Tesla Documents Combined ( 351 Pages)

Questions about this case

Related cases

Today, A Declassified Central Intelligence Agency Record, Dated February

CIA "di/usaf Contribution To Nie 27

CIA Today, A Declassified C I A Record On Clandestine Intelligence Collection

Today, We Examine A Declassified Government Record Concerning United States

Today, A Declassified Central Intelligence Agency Record From March Seventh

Questions about this case

Related cases

Today, A Declassified Central Intelligence Agency Record, Dated February

CIA "di/usaf Contribution To Nie 27

CIA Today, A Declassified C I A Record On Clandestine Intelligence Collection

Today, We Examine A Declassified Government Record Concerning United States

Today, A Declassified Central Intelligence Agency Record From March Seventh

Get the next declassified case in your inbox