The U.S. stock market has an incredible track record of creating wealth for investors, returning about 10% annually over long-term investments. While that type of return can double your money in roughly seven years, picking the right individual stocks can provide far greater returns.
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Simply put, it takes a specific investment strategy and a lot of luck to become a millionaire in the short term of 10 years. However, the six stocks listed below are a great example of the opportunity to make more than 20 times their original investments, making them quite rich within a decade — that is, if they got in at the right time and held onto their investments.
Note that for this list, only stocks that have held onto their status as large-caps — companies with market capitalizations of at least $10 billion — have been included, as this demonstrates their stability and long-term staying power. If you chose to put the right amount of money, at the right stock price at the right time into any of these stocks, you would have a portfolio worth millions.
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Netflix, Inc. (NFLX)
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Share price on May 17, 2021: $33.85
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Share price on May 17, 2011: $488.94
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Profit on $10,000 investment: $134,443
Netflix revolutionized video distribution and streaming, essentially defining the marketplace as it exists today. Although the company has had its ups and downs over the years, there have been a few periods when investors enjoyed 10 times the return on their money over a decade, including from 2011 to 2021.
Broadcom (AVGO)
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Share price on Jan. 20, 2015: $7.99
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Share price on Jan. 17, 2025: $237.44
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Profit on $10,000 investment: $287,171
Broadcom is the very definition of “big tech,” ranking 8th-largest in the S&P 500. This puts it right next to perhaps more well-known names like Apple, Microsoft and Meta Platforms. Broadcom’s stock performance over the past 10 years has pushed the company into these elite ranks, turning just $33,650 into $1 million.
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Align Technology, Inc. (ALGN)
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Share price on Sept. 8, 2011: $17.93
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Share price on Sept. 8, 2021: $570.53
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Profit on $10,000 investment: $318,198
Align Technology is the company behind the popular Invisalign clear aligners that straighten teeth without using traditional braces. During its boom period, it was a great time to own the stock, which returned investors more than 31 times their money over a 10-year period.
Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN)
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Share price on May 15, 1997 (IPO price): $0.075
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Share price on Dec. 31, 1999: $3.81
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Profit on $10,000 investment: $498,000
Amazon, the biggest online retailer in the world, has had an admirable run over the past 10 years, returning over 1,400%. But if you really want to make “easy” millions on Amazon, you should have owned it for the first three years of its existence. In those years — 1997 through 1999 — the stock returned an incredible 105.9%, 970.8% and 39.4%, turning $33,000 into a cool million.
Nvidia Corp. (NVDA)
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Share price on Jan. 17, 2025: $137.71
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Share price on Jan. 17, 2015: $0.48
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Profit on $10,000 investment: $2,858,958
By this point, every investor with even a passing interest in the stock market has heard of Nvidia, the market darling that has soared to become the 2nd-largest company in America, just behind Apple. The company has provided the best total return to investors of any stock over the past 5-, 10- and 25-year periods.
Monster Beverage (MNST)
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Share price on Aug. 18, 1995: $0.01
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Share price on Aug. 18, 2005: $25.09
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Profit on a $10,000 investment: $25,080,000
If you asked most investors which company posted the best stock returns over the past 30 years, you’d likely hear some assortment of high-tech stocks. But the truth is that Monster Beverage is the correct answer. In the first 10 years after the company traded publicly as Monster Beverage, an investment of just $400 was enough to turn you into a millionaire.
Caitlyn Moorhead contributed to the reporting for this article.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 6 Stocks That Have Made the Most Millionaires in a Decade or Less
