Nvidia, 2016: the trade every gamer saw coming
In early 2016, Nvidia was a graphics-card company with a $15B market cap. Gamers loved it; Wall Street mostly shrugged. Then crypto mining arrived, then AI, and the chip everyone already had in their PC became the most important company in the world.
$1,000 in NVDA at the start of 2016, held to the latest close (2026-08): $270,934 — a 271× multiple. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500: $3,771.
The uncomfortable part: none of this required foresight about CUDA or transformers in 2016. It required holding something everyone could already see was getting better, through every correction along the way.
FAQ
How is this number computed?
The figure uses the same historical closing-price data as the calculators: the relevant ticker's month-end close at the scenario's start, compared with the latest available month-end close, with splits and dividends handled per the methodology page.
What if I change the amount?
Every figure scales linearly: double the starting amount and every dollar figure doubles. Use the ticker's calculator page for exact-date precision and dollar-cost averaging.
Is this investment advice?
No. These are historical calculations for entertainment and education. Past performance never guarantees future results.
Every figure is computed from the same historical data the calculators use (see methodology). Not financial advice.