S&P 500 vs Nvidia: which won?
Nvidia crushed S&P 500 since 1999 — more than 406× as much.
Nvidia
Winner$2,051,900
2,052× · +33.5%/yr
S&P 500
Runner-up$5,050
5.05× · +6.3%/yr
$1,000 lump sum · end of 1999 → 2026
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Open this in the calculator →Head to head
| Nvidia | S&P 500 | |
|---|---|---|
| $1,000 would be | $2,051,900 | $5,050 |
| Total return | 2,052× | 5.05× |
| Annual return | +33.5% | +6.3% |
| Best single year | +83% (2003) | +13% (2020) |
| Worst single year | −50% (2002) | −17% (2008) |
| Deepest drop | −87.5% | −52.2% |
| The ride | Fairly steady climb | Remarkably smooth ride |
The story
Put $1,000 into each at the end of 1999 and leave it alone. By the latest data, the Nvidia stake is worth about $2,051,900 — a 2,052× return, or roughly +33.5% a year. The same money in S&P 500 grew to about $5,050 (5.05×). Nvidia wins this window decisively: more than 406× as much, or about $2,046,850 more on the same $1,000.
The lead didn't come on the same road. Nvidia's path was a fairly steady climb, while S&P 500 was a remarkably smooth ride. So Nvidia's win came with the bigger stomach test: more upside, but you had to sit through sharper swings to collect it.
Neither was a straight line. Nvidia's ugliest calendar year was −50% (2002) and its worst peak-to-trough fall reached −87.5%, recovered by 2003. S&P 500 bottomed at −17% (2008) with a deepest drop of −52.2%. If you'd sold in the worst of it, none of the headline numbers above would have been yours.
Those are nominal dollars. Prices rose about 0.0% over the same stretch, so the real, spending-power gain is smaller than the multiple suggests for both. And this is one start year out of many — pick a different year and the result can flip. Past performance never predicts the future; this is a history lesson, not advice. Run your own year and amount below.
Common questions
- Was S&P 500 or Nvidia a better investment since 1999?
- Over 1999–2026, Nvidia was the better investment: $1,000 grew to about $2,051,900 (2,052×), versus about $5,050 (5.05×) for S&P 500 — more than 406× as much.
- How much would $1,000 in Nvidia be worth versus S&P 500?
- Starting at the end of 1999, $1,000 in Nvidia would be worth about $2,051,900 today, and in S&P 500 about $5,050 — a difference of roughly $2,046,850 on the same stake.
- Which was more volatile, S&P 500 or Nvidia?
- Nvidia was the wilder ride — fairly steady climb — with a deepest fall of −87.5%, while S&P 500 was remarkably smooth ride (deepest fall −52.2%).
- Did Nvidia always beat S&P 500?
- No. This compares a single start year (1999, the first both have data for). Different entry years — especially buying after a crash versus near a peak — can change or even reverse the winner. Use the calculator to test any year.