10-year returns that make you rethink everything:
$NVDA +13,967%
$BTC +13,200%
$AMD +6,111%
$TSLA +2,319%
$AAPL +1,137%
$MSFT +844%
$GOOGL +770%
$NFLX +730%
$AMZN +585%
$META +349%
$SPY +311%
$GLD +231%
Inflation +39%
A few things jump out:
First, the winners were obvious in hindsight but brutal to hold. Nvidia dropped 65% in 2022. Tesla fell 73%. Bitcoin? Multiple 80%+ drawdowns. The gains look smooth on a chart. They weren't.
Second, boring worked. The S&P 500 tripled your money and crushed inflation by 8x. You didn't need to pick the next Nvidia. You just needed to not panic-sell in March 2020 or December 2022.
Third, gold did its job. It's not exciting, but +231% while everything else melted down a few times? That's the point.
The real lesson? These numbers don't teach you what to buy. They teach you what it costs to win: patience, conviction, and the ability to ignore your own fear when everyone else is selling.
Most people can't do that. So they chase last decade's winners into this decade and wonder why it doesn't work twice.
$NVDA +13,967%
$BTC +13,200%
$AMD +6,111%
$TSLA +2,319%
$AAPL +1,137%
$MSFT +844%
$GOOGL +770%
$NFLX +730%
$AMZN +585%
$META +349%
$SPY +311%
$GLD +231%
Inflation +39%
A few things jump out:
First, the winners were obvious in hindsight but brutal to hold. Nvidia dropped 65% in 2022. Tesla fell 73%. Bitcoin? Multiple 80%+ drawdowns. The gains look smooth on a chart. They weren't.
Second, boring worked. The S&P 500 tripled your money and crushed inflation by 8x. You didn't need to pick the next Nvidia. You just needed to not panic-sell in March 2020 or December 2022.
Third, gold did its job. It's not exciting, but +231% while everything else melted down a few times? That's the point.
The real lesson? These numbers don't teach you what to buy. They teach you what it costs to win: patience, conviction, and the ability to ignore your own fear when everyone else is selling.
Most people can't do that. So they chase last decade's winners into this decade and wonder why it doesn't work twice.