Nimoy did not invent the Vulcan salute, he saw the hand sign being used in a Synagogue while praying and adopted it, he DID however invent the neck pinch as the thought the character needed something more elegant than just smashing someone in the face.
Teleportation was invented as a way of cutting costs.
Teleportation in Star Trek is essential to the plot. However, this was a device they pulled out of their sleeves to keep production costs from skyrocketing.
Nimoy did not invent the Vulcan salute, he saw the hand sign being used in a Synagogue while praying and adopted it, he DID however invent the neck pinch as the thought the character needed something more elegant than just smashing someone in the face.
Of course, this hand gesture means "read between the lines"...
He came up with it for the character. He's the reason it's in the show. That's all that anyone needs to know. Pointy ears weren't a new thing, either.