Many CEOs have unusual preferences and personal habits. Whether they’re motivated by productivity, wellbeing, or organization, these quirks seem integral to their success.

But Nikola Tesla takes the cake when it comes to eccentricities. He had a strong aesthetic sensibility, including an aversion to pearls (and any woman wearing them), and insisted on dressing to impress. He wore white gloves to dinner every night and prided himself on his dapper attire.

Though he took cat naps throughout the day, Tesla also claimed he never slept more than 2 hours. Once, he stopped eating solid foods, opting instead for liquid sustenance like warm milk and juices.

While he was tall and reportedly rather easy on the eyes, Tesla never dated. Celibacy, he reasoned, contributed to his creativity.

The takeaway: own whatever makes you you  from habits to preferences. As long as you’re not harming anyone, embrace your quirks and incorporate them into your routine.

Nikola Tesla believed deeply in the power of solitude.

“Be alone,” said Tesla. “That is the secret of invention; be alone, that is when ideas are born.”

During time alone, we can reflect and think creatively, rather than diluting our attention with an endless number of distractions.

He regularly collaborated and socialized with some of the greatest minds of his time: fellow scientists, politicians, artists, and business people. Writer and poet Rudyard Kipling, conservationist John Muir, and financiers Henry Clay Frick and Thomas Fortune Ryan were just a few of Tesla’s intimates.

On his 75th birthday, Tesla received a celebratory letter from Albert Einstein himself.

Surround yourself with people whom you respect and admire, from a variety of backgrounds and industries.