Nasdaq-100 vs Gold: which won?
Gold crushed Nasdaq-100 since 1999 — about 1.9× as much.
gold
Winner$14,624
14.6× · +10.7%/yr
Nasdaq-100
Runner-up$7,894
7.89× · +8.1%/yr
$1,000 lump sum · end of 1999 → 2026
Want a different year, amount, or a third asset in the mix?
Open this in the calculator →Head to head
| gold | Nasdaq-100 | |
|---|---|---|
| $1,000 would be | $14,624 | $7,894 |
| Total return | 14.6× | 7.89× |
| Annual return | +10.7% | +8.1% |
| Best single year | +13% (2026) | +19% (2000) |
| Worst single year | −17% (2008) | −26% (2001) |
| Deepest drop | −41.8% | −81.1% |
| The ride | Remarkably smooth ride | Remarkably smooth ride |
The story
Put $1,000 into each at the end of 1999 and leave it alone. By the latest data, the Gold stake is worth about $14,624 — a 14.6× return, or roughly +10.7% a year. The same money in Nasdaq-100 grew to about $7,894 (7.89×). Gold wins this window decisively: about 1.9× as much, or about $6,730 more on the same $1,000.
The lead didn't come on the same road. Nasdaq-100's path was a remarkably smooth ride, while Gold was a remarkably smooth ride. So Gold managed to win while also handing investors the calmer ride of the two — the rarer combination.
Neither was a straight line. Gold's ugliest calendar year was −17% (2008) and its worst peak-to-trough fall reached −41.8%, recovered by 2016. Nasdaq-100 bottomed at −26% (2001) with a deepest drop of −81.1%. 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 0.0% 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 Nasdaq-100 or Gold a better investment since 1999?
- Over 1999–2026, Gold was the better investment: $1,000 grew to about $14,624 (14.6×), versus about $7,894 (7.89×) for Nasdaq-100 — about 1.9× as much.
- How much would $1,000 in Gold be worth versus Nasdaq-100?
- Starting at the end of 1999, $1,000 in Gold would be worth about $14,624 today, and in Nasdaq-100 about $7,894 — a difference of roughly $6,730 on the same stake.
- Which was more volatile, Nasdaq-100 or Gold?
- Nasdaq-100 was the wilder ride — remarkably smooth ride — with a deepest fall of −81.1%, while Gold was remarkably smooth ride (deepest fall −41.8%).
- Did Gold always beat Nasdaq-100?
- No. This compares a single start year (1999, 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.