If You'd Invested $1,000 in Nvidia's 1999 IPO, Here's How Much You'd Have Today

Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) is one of the most successful stocks in history. Since launching its IPO in 1999, the stock has earned unprecedented returns, especially considering the 27-year time frame. So high are the gains that an investment of $1,000 at that time would deliver millions.

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The semiconductor stock launched its IPO on Jan. 22, 1999, at a split-adjusted price of $0.025 per share. At the time, that would have bought 40,000 split-adjusted shares worth $5.32 million. Add in the dividend income over that time, and the overall total grows to $5.70 million.

NVDA data by YCharts

Nvidia made its initial fortune as a leader in graphics cards. It later moved on to GPUs and, later, AI accelerators, which have made it an industry-leading chip stock. With that, it won the AI training race, or at least the first phase of it.

Earning returns from the investor perspective was much simpler, as investing in Jensen Huang's vision early on involved both foresight and luck. However, the hardest part was probably holding the stock, even during Nvidia's downturns.

Nvidia stock lost more than 50% of its value five times in its history. During the dotcom bust and the 2008 financial crisis, that declined exceeded 85%. Keeping the faith during such times can be tough, but if a company offers a vision that can succeed over time, one may find the discipline to hold.

Admittedly, investors are unlikely to earn comparable returns by buying Nvidia today. Still, this stock's history is important to investors hoping to find the next Nvidia.

Comparable returns to Nvidia's are not guaranteed. Nonetheless, if one finds a high-quality company and invests early, holding for years and riding out downturns could yield massive returns over the long term.

Will Healy has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.