Apple vs Tesla: which won?
Tesla crushed Apple since 2010 — about 9.0× as much.
Tesla
Winner$228,331
228× · +42.2%/yr
Apple
Runner-up$25,272
25.3× · +23.3%/yr
$1,000 lump sum · end of 2010 → 2026
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Open this in the calculator →Head to head
| Tesla | Apple | |
|---|---|---|
| $1,000 would be | $228,331 | $25,272 |
| Total return | 228× | 25.3× |
| Annual return | +42.2% | +23.3% |
| Best single year | +81% (2013) | +21% (2020) |
| Worst single year | −37% (2022) | −18% (2018) |
| Deepest drop | −67.7% | −40.6% |
| The ride | Fairly steady climb | Remarkably smooth ride |
The story
Put $1,000 into each at the end of 2010 and leave it alone. By the latest data, the Tesla stake is worth about $228,331 — a 228× return, or roughly +42.2% a year. The same money in Apple grew to about $25,272 (25.3×). Tesla wins this window decisively: about 9.0× as much, or about $203,060 more on the same $1,000.
The lead didn't come on the same road. Tesla's path was a fairly steady climb, while Apple was a remarkably smooth ride. So Tesla's win came with the bigger stomach test: more upside, but you had to sit through sharper swings to collect it.
Neither was a straight line. Tesla's ugliest calendar year was −37% (2022) and its worst peak-to-trough fall reached −67.7%, recovered by 2023. Apple bottomed at −18% (2018) with a deepest drop of −40.6%. If you'd sold in the worst of it, none of the headline numbers above would have been yours.
Those are nominal dollars. Prices rose about 51.5% over the same stretch, so the real, spending-power gain is smaller than the multiple suggests for both. And this is one start year out of many — pick a different year and the result can flip. Past performance never predicts the future; this is a history lesson, not advice. Run your own year and amount below.
Common questions
- Was Apple or Tesla a better investment since 2010?
- Over 2010–2026, Tesla was the better investment: $1,000 grew to about $228,331 (228×), versus about $25,272 (25.3×) for Apple — about 9.0× as much.
- How much would $1,000 in Tesla be worth versus Apple?
- Starting at the end of 2010, $1,000 in Tesla would be worth about $228,331 today, and in Apple about $25,272 — a difference of roughly $203,060 on the same stake.
- Which was more volatile, Apple or Tesla?
- Tesla was the wilder ride — fairly steady climb — with a deepest fall of −67.7%, while Apple was remarkably smooth ride (deepest fall −40.6%).
- Did Tesla always beat Apple?
- No. This compares a single start year (2010, the first both have data for). Different entry years — especially buying after a crash versus near a peak — can change or even reverse the winner. Use the calculator to test any year.