$1,000 Investment in Amazon Ten Years Ago Worth Over 511%

A decade ago, investing $1,000 in Amazon (AMZN) would have yielded an astonishing return of over 511% by September 2026. The initial price was a split-adjusted $40.81, while the current price is $249.67.

However, this impressive gain comes with a caveat: since Amazon does not pay dividends, investors who held onto their shares for ten years have seen no cash returns on their investment.

The company's revenue has surged significantly over the past decade, from $107 billion in 2015 to $716.9 billion in 2025. The growth is largely attributed to its cloud computing division AWS, which generated $42.2 billion in revenue during Q2 2026, with a 39% operating margin.

Andy Jassy, Amazon's CEO, warned that the company will face 'free cash flow headwinds' due to its massive capex plan, which reached $53.1 billion in Q2. This has significant implications for retirees or investors seeking income from their investments.