The specific example that other user gave clearly did not have OTA updates.
But like EVs in general, the industry wide move to more OTA updates was in large part due to the competition that Tesla presented forcing the rest of the industry to keep up.
Maybe not recalls specifically, but the continued improvement of Tesla's software even after purchase is absolutely a selling point of their cars, especially in the era before widespread Android Auto and CarPlay when the software in cars was almost universally awful.
At least, as long as they actually are improvements. Not every OTA has been well received by owners. I don't have a problem with OTAs for bug fixes, but I'm personally weary about OTAs that change features. Tesla's tendency to treat their OTAs like their cars are an agile software project is not to my personal taste.
CarPlay has been around long enough, does get OTA updates, and I personally prefer that model because it is strictly scoped to the infotainment, and won't change the way my windshield wipers work.
But like EVs in general, the industry wide move to more OTA updates was in large part due to the competition that Tesla presented forcing the rest of the industry to keep up.