The only thing constant about Tesla stock is change. The EV stock has been labeled as overvalued for more than a decade, but it has silenced most of its critics in the long run.
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Even now, valuation remains a hot topic among investors. Competition is heating up in the EV sector, and Tesla recently announced a 71% drop in net profits during the first quarter.
While the headlines suggest Tesla is in trouble, that’s nothing new. Zooming out and seeing Tesla’s performance over the past 5, 10 and 15 years paints a brighter picture.
Optimus humanoid robots and cybercabs could propel the stock in the future. Looking at the stock’s past performance indicates how much momentum the stock can generate when the company is firing on all cylinders.
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How Tesla Stock Has Changed Over the Past 15 Years
A big investment in Tesla could have produced generational wealth if you got in this early. Tesla went public on June 29, 2010, and closed at a split-adjusted $1.59 per share. Tesla shares closed at $287.21 on May 2, 2025, resulting in a 17,964% gain.
Tesla was just getting started as an EV company and didn’t have the exciting AI opportunities that it has right now. Electric vehicles were starting to become mainstream, and Musk’s leadership helped the stock command a high valuation right from the start.
If you put $1,000 into Tesla 15 years ago, it would have turned into roughly $180,640. These returns demonstrate how much an investor’s life can change if they allocate money to the right stock at an early stage.
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How Tesla Stock Has Changed Over the Past 10 Years
Although Tesla stock enjoyed a surge during its early years, the company also presented a compelling opportunity for investors who bought shares 10 years ago. The stock has currently delivered an 1,806% return for people who started their positions a decade ago.
Tesla still faced relatively light competition 10 years ago and continued to gobble up market share. Investing $1,000 in Tesla at that time would have resulted in $19,060. Elon Musk was gaining more of the spotlight and had plenty of fans among eco-conscious car owners who wanted to feel like they were saving the planet with their vehicles.
How Tesla Stock Has Changed Over the Past 5 Years
Tesla’s competition has ramped up over the past five years, including in the stock market. Many Chinese EV makers became public at around this time. There were also plenty of hyped-up EV companies that capitalized on the SPAC boom to raise money. Nikola Motors was the poster child of failed EV stocks during this time.
While the EV boom and bust wiped out smaller companies, Tesla continued to soar. Tesla’s gains are still impressive if you look at a 5-year window. Shares rallied by 514%, turning a $1,000 investment into $6,514. The stock is more than 30% down from its all-time high, but Tesla has endured many pullbacks on the way to its current price level.
Elon Musk’s role in the Department of Government Efficiency has drawn the ire of many people who oppose President Donald Trump. First quarter results suggest Musk’s government position has affected Tesla, with sales and revenue both down year-over-year.
However, Tesla shares performed well in 2024 even as Musk endorsed Trump and spoke at some of his campaigns.
Editor’s note on political coverage: GOBankingRates is nonpartisan and strives to cover all aspects of the economy objectively and present balanced reports on politically focused finance stories. You can find more coverage of this topic on GOBankingRates.com.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: How Tesla Stock Has Changed Over 5, 10 and 15 Years
