George Westinghouse

George Westinghouse, much like a well-oiled machine in one of his factories, was all about efficiency and power. He wasn't content with just one monumental invention, like the railway air brake, which single-handedly made train travel less about praying and more about arriving. No, Westinghouse then decided to electrify the world, albeit with the right kind of electricity—AC, naturally. Thomas Edison, with his quaint DC current, must have been utterly shocked by Westinghouse’s audacity. Literally.

Born in New York, Westinghouse hailed from good old American stock, with nary a hint of a menorah in the family tree. His father ran an agricultural machinery business, which explains George's innate ability to improve upon existing tech rather than just fiddling with it. He served in the Union Army during the Civil War, though his most impactful battles were clearly fought against stubborn engineers and the proponents of inferior electrical systems.

His legacy isn't just in the countless patents or the defeat of "Current Wars" rival Edison, but in laying the literal groundwork for modern electrical grids. Without Westinghouse, we might still be debating the merits of short-range DC power grids, fumbling in the dark, or worse, powering our homes with steam. For that, he certainly earns a respectable K score, even if his Jewish bona fides are as absent as a DC power station in 21st-century America.