Tesla vs Nvidia: which won?
Nvidia crushed Tesla since 2010 — about 2.4× as much.
Nvidia
Winner$539,974
540× · +50.4%/yr
Tesla
Runner-up$228,331
228× · +42.2%/yr
$1,000 lump sum · end of 2010 → 2026
Want a different year, amount, or a third asset in the mix?
Open this in the calculator →Head to head
| Nvidia | Tesla | |
|---|---|---|
| $1,000 would be | $539,974 | $228,331 |
| Total return | 540× | 228× |
| Annual return | +50.4% | +42.2% |
| Best single year | +58% (2011) | +81% (2013) |
| Worst single year | −32% (2022) | −37% (2022) |
| Deepest drop | −62.9% | −67.7% |
| The ride | Fairly steady climb | Fairly steady climb |
The story
Put $1,000 into each at the end of 2010 and leave it alone. By the latest data, the Nvidia stake is worth about $539,974 — a 540× return, or roughly +50.4% a year. The same money in Tesla grew to about $228,331 (228×). Nvidia wins this window decisively: about 2.4× as much, or about $311,642 more on the same $1,000.
The lead didn't come on the same road. Tesla's path was a fairly steady climb, while Nvidia was a fairly steady climb. So Nvidia managed to win while also handing investors the calmer ride of the two — the rarer combination.
Neither was a straight line. Nvidia's ugliest calendar year was −32% (2022) and its worst peak-to-trough fall reached −62.9%, recovered by 2023. Tesla bottomed at −37% (2022) with a deepest drop of −67.7%. 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 Tesla or Nvidia a better investment since 2010?
- Over 2010–2026, Nvidia was the better investment: $1,000 grew to about $539,974 (540×), versus about $228,331 (228×) for Tesla — about 2.4× as much.
- How much would $1,000 in Nvidia be worth versus Tesla?
- Starting at the end of 2010, $1,000 in Nvidia would be worth about $539,974 today, and in Tesla about $228,331 — a difference of roughly $311,642 on the same stake.
- Which was more volatile, Tesla or Nvidia?
- Tesla was the wilder ride — fairly steady climb — with a deepest fall of −67.7%, while Nvidia was fairly steady climb (deepest fall −62.9%).
- Did Nvidia always beat Tesla?
- 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.