Nvidia Stuns Apple with Overwhelming Returns

Two tech giants, Apple and Nvidia, delivered significant returns for investors over the past 15 years. A $2,000 stake in each company on August 3, 2011 would have appreciated considerably, but one far outpaced the other.

Nvidia's long-term growth was driven by its pivot from gaming graphics processors to accelerated computing, cloud data centers, and artificial intelligence (AI). The shift toward AI infrastructure became a major driver of the company's growth, particularly as organizations increased spending on AI computing. On August 3, 2011, Nvidia closed at $0.34 per share. A $2,000 stake would have purchased approximately 5,882.35 shares.

Fast forward to August 3, 2026, and the split-adjusted close price for Nvidia was $206.64. This means that your initial $2,000 position would be worth about $1.215 million today, which is a gain of roughly $1.213 million before taxes and transaction costs.

Apple's growth over the same period was driven by its expanding lineup of devices and services, particularly the iPhone. The company reported more than 2.5 billion active devices worldwide as of late 2025. On August 3, 2011, Apple closed at a split-adjusted $11.75 per share. A $2,000 stake would have purchased approximately 170.21 shares.

As of August 3, 2026, the split-adjusted close price for Apple was $303.42. This means that your initial $2,000 investment would be worth roughly $51,645 today, which is a gain of about $49,645 before taxes and trading costs.