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It is customary to provide formulas to describe experimental data, namely in regression. So, when Einstein proposed the formula $E = mc^2$ (I reckon the original formulation was not like this, but I am not a physicist so I will stick to this 'canonical' formulation), did he want to provide a theoretical model to experimental data?

In other words, did Einstein produce this equation based on experimental data or was it a totally theoretical approach? And if the first case, what experimental data he used?

Thank you

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    $\begingroup$ The formula was proposed on purely theoretical grounds, as a consequence of special relativity. $\endgroup$
    – Alexandre Eremenko
    Commented Jun 23 at 13:35
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    $\begingroup$ It was a prediction from the theory. Confirmation of its validity came with radioactivity and particle physics. $\endgroup$
    – Mauricio
    Commented Jun 24 at 15:48
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    $\begingroup$ This fourth annus mirabilis paper’s main result was born out of theory, unlike the photoelectric effect, Brownian motion, or the (negative) results of Michelson-Morley! $\endgroup$
    – Mark S
    Commented Jun 30 at 0:55

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