See how $500 would have performed across different investments over the past decade.
| Investment | Current Value | Total Return | Annual Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ethereum | $221,493.62 | +44198.7% | 83.9% |
| Bitcoin | $85,666.82 | +17033.4% | 67.3% |
| Nvidia | $70,641.03 | +14028.2% | 64.1% |
| AMD | $18,256.23 | +3551.2% | 43.3% |
| Tesla | $14,747.57 | +2849.5% | 40.3% |
| Apple | $4,722.58 | +844.5% | 25.2% |
| Netflix | $4,193.28 | +738.7% | 23.7% |
| Microsoft | $4,148.66 | +729.7% | 23.6% |
| Amazon | $3,391.35 | +578.3% | 21.1% |
| Meta (Facebook) | $2,960.86 | +492.2% | 19.5% |
| Google (Alphabet) | $2,625.54 | +425.1% | 18.0% |
| S&P 500 | $1,533.26 | +206.7% | 11.9% |
Your investment would be worth
If you had $500 to invest ten years ago, where should you have put it? The answer depends entirely on which asset you chose — and the differences are staggering. Let's break down how each major investment performed with a $500 starting position.
The clear winner over the past decade was Ethereum (ETH). A $500 investment would have grown to approximately $221,493.62, delivering a total return of 44198.7%. That translates to an annualized return of 83.9% per year — dramatically outperforming traditional investments.
Even the lowest performer on our list, S&P 500, still delivered a positive return of 206.7%. This shows that staying invested — even in the "wrong" asset — generally beats holding cash.
Perhaps the most sobering comparison is against doing nothing. If you kept $500 in a savings account earning 1% interest, you'd have roughly $552 today. Even with inflation adjustments, every single asset on our list outperformed a basic savings account over this ten-year period.
The stock market, as measured by the S&P 500, has historically returned about 10% annually. This means that even without picking individual winners, simply investing in a broad market index fund would have multiplied your money several times over.
While you can't go back in time, you can start now. If you invest $500 today and earn the S&P 500's historical average of 10% per year, you'd have approximately $1,297 in ten years — without adding another penny. Add in monthly contributions and the numbers become even more impressive.
Use our Compound Interest Calculator to model different scenarios and see how regular investing can build wealth over time. The best time to invest was ten years ago; the second best time is today.
Higher returns almost always come with higher risk. Ethereum delivered spectacular returns, but also experienced gut-wrenching drawdowns of 50% or more along the way. The S&P 500, while returning less than individual tech stocks or crypto, provided a smoother ride with less stomach-churning volatility.
For most investors, a diversified approach works best: a core holding in index funds supplemented by smaller positions in individual stocks or alternative assets you believe in. This way, you participate in the upside while limiting the damage from any single investment going wrong.
Ready to start investing? Use our Compound Interest Calculator to see how your money can grow, or check out our Stock Screener to find opportunities.
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