Could Investing $10,000 in IonQ Make You a Millionaire?

Quantum computing is the next big technology that's expected to follow AI. While the AI build-out is in full swing, so is the quantum computing arms race. Every company competing in the quantum computing realm is racing toward one goal: accuracy. That's the one hold-up with quantum technology right now, as its solutions aren't accurate enough to be deployed in a commercial setting.

If that's the primary issue that every company is trying to solve, then a logical investment idea is to pick the current leader. Right now, that's IonQ (NYSE: IONQ). IonQ has made some structural decisions that optimize its technology for accuracy, which is why it's a leader in the space. But will those decisions be enough to transform $10,000 into $1 million?

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IonQ holds a commanding lead

IonQ's latest measure of accuracy was in October 2025, when it delivered 99.99% two-qubit gate fidelity. This metric has become the industry standard in quantum computing and can be utilized when comparing systems from different providers.

It measures if a calculation is still correct after passing through two processing "gates," and a 99.99% score indicates one error out of every 10,000 operations. While you and I would be incredibly happy only making one error in every 10,000 decisions we make, that's not good enough for a computer. Basic processes require thousands of operations, and if one error happens, it can propagate to ruin the entire system.

That's why accuracy is so important, and with the rest of the quantum computing competition not yet reaching the 99.99% accuracy threshold, IonQ has a decent lead.

But will this be enough to fend off competitors? That's an impossible question to answer. There are several other viable quantum computing companies, including some divisions in major tech companies with nearly unlimited resources. That's going to be tough to beat, although this wouldn't be the first time an upstart outperformed a legacy tech company.

IonQ is a high-risk, high-reward company, which is why some investors are looking to it to provide life-changing returns. I don't think investors should go all-in on IonQ's stock, as there is a strong likelihood of failure due to its operation in an emerging technology field that could rapidly shift. There are too many unknowns to be unnecessarily bullish on the stock, but allocating a small percentage of your portfolio (say no more than 1%) could be a smart move. However, if 1% of your portfolio is $10,000, then congratulations, you're already a millionaire.

Beyond that, I think IonQ is a solid long-shot pick, but investors also need to be prepared for the worst if IonQ's technological advantage disappears. I think it will pan out, but there are no guarantees.

Keithen Drury has positions in IonQ. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends IonQ. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.