If You Invested $15K in These 3 Stocks 15 Years Ago, You’d Be a Millionaire Today
Written by
John Csiszar
Edited by
Jenna Klaverweiden
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In hindsight, it might feel “obvious” that it would have been a good idea to invest in certain big-name stocks like Apple (AAPL) or Microsoft (MSFT). But the truth is that most market-beating stocks start out as speculative unknowns, and finding the right winners can be both difficult and risky.
For those with the right knowledge, insight or good fortune, however, even a small amount invested can turn into a large fortune over time.
Here’s a look at how three well-known stocks have turned $15,000 into well over $1 million over the last 15 years.
Also see how much you’d have if you invested in Apple when Warren Buffett did.
Nvidia (NVDA)
- Average annual return over past 15 years: 47.34%
- Value of $15,000 invested in 2010: $5.02 million
- Price as of May 9, 2025: $116.65
Nvidia is the poster child for the big returns that a volatile stock can provide. Although the stock is down so far in 2025, its performance has been nothing short of incredible over the past 15 years. Nvidia brought its first graphics accelerator to market 30 years ago, and since then the chipmaker has evolved and seems to have always had the right product at the right time. Its graphic processing units then went on to power the surge in online gaming, and in more recent years, its chips have fueled the burgeoning artificial intelligence market.
Looking forward, analysts are still extremely bullish on Nvidia, which has grown to become the third-largest company in the entire S&P 500. Analysts have a 12-month price target of $163.13 on Nvidia.
Netflix (NFLX)
- Average annual return over past 15 years: 34.74%
- Value of $15,000 invested in 2010: $1.31 million
- Price as of May 9, 2025: $1,140.22
Netflix is another successful company that has had to reinvent itself over the years. The company boomed as the pioneer of the DVD-by-mail business, but then it struggled as streaming rose in popularity. Rather than becoming a technological relic, however, Netflix completely transformed itself to become the modern leader in streaming services.
Even as it continues to raise prices, the company has garnered more and more subscribers, accelerating its growth once again. As a result, the stock has handily outperformed the S&P 500 over nearly any time period, including the year-to-date, one-year, three-year and five-year time frames.
Broadcom (AVGO)
- Average annual return over past 15 years: 37.15%
- Value of $15,000 invested in 2010: $1.71 million
- Price as of May 9, 2025: $208.20
Broadcom might not be very well known to the general public, but investors have loved the stock for decades now. The company actually has the sixth-largest market cap in the S&P 500, thanks to the huge multiyear run in its stock price.
Although the stock has stumbled a bit in 2025, it has still topped the market on a one-year, three-year and five-year basis. Analysts remain bullish on the company one year out, with an average price target of $238.54.
Key Lessons To Be Learned
It can be fun to look back and see the extraordinary gains that certain stocks have delivered, but there are also lessons to be learned.
The first is that rapidly growing stocks can deliver explosive gains. The second is that compounding growth over time can provide spectacular results. It may not be easy to pick long-term winners, but putting in a little time and effort can certainly pay off.
Editor’s note: All average annual return figures were sourced from Morningstar.
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