How much would I haveif…

If I'd invested in Apple since 1981

$1,000 put into Apple at the end of 1981 would be worth about $2,911,300 today — a 2,911× return, or roughly 19.7% a year. Change the amount below to run your own number.

You'd have

$2,911,300

from $1,000 invested up 291030%.

Multiple2,911×
Per year19.7%
In today's $$2,911,300
shares held10,000 shares
19812026

The story behind the number

Best year+44%2001
Worst year−58%2000
Steepest drop−80%1991→1997

Apple since 1981 has been a fairly steady climb. $1,000 put in at the end of 1981 grew to $2,911,300 — a 2,911× return, or about 19.7% a year.

The ride mattered as much as the destination. The strongest single year was 2001, up 44%; the worst was 2000, down 58%.

Holding on took nerve: the position fell as much as 80% from its 1991 peak to its 1997 low, before climbing back above that high by 1999.

Common questions

How much would I have if I'd invested $1,000 in Apple in 1981?
$1,000 invested in Apple at the end of 1981 would be worth about $2,911,300 today — a 2,911× return, or roughly 19.7% per year.
What were the best and worst years for Apple since 1981?
The best year was 2001, up about 44%. The toughest was 2000, when it fell about 58%. Across the window, 215 of 534 years finished lower than they started.
What was the biggest drop along the way?
The steepest decline was about 80%, from a peak in 1991 to a low in 1997, with the value recovering above its prior high by 1999.

The chart above shows the whole journey, not just the destination. Try switching to a bit each year to see how spreading your buying would have changed the outcome — or skip the latte to find out what a small daily habit could have grown into instead.

Compare Apple head-to-head since 1981

More Apple scenarios

All Apple years →

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