What was Tesla's compound annual growth rate (CAGR) since 2016?

Tesla's CAGR from 2016 to September 2026 was 34.3% per year. For comparison, the S&P 500 has historically averaged around 10% annually. Tesla significantly outperformed traditional equity markets on an annualized basis.

How does Tesla compare to the S&P 500 since 2016?

The same $1,000 invested in an S&P 500 index fund in 2016 would be worth approximately $4,501.29 today. Tesla outperformed the index by $19,195.15 — 5.26x the return of the S&P 500.

How much of the Tesla gain would you keep after taxes?

Sold today, the $22,696.44 gain would be a long-term capital gain for US federal tax. At the 15% rate most people pay, you'd keep about $20,291.97. At the top rate of 23.8% (20% plus the 3.8% net investment income tax) you'd keep about $18,294.69, and lower incomes pay 0%. State tax is extra, and gains inside a Roth IRA aren't taxed.

What is the inflation-adjusted return on $1,000 in Tesla since 2016?

Adjusted for cumulative US inflation since 2016, the real purchasing-power value of the Tesla position is approximately $17,445.23 in 2016 dollars. Even after inflation, this is an extraordinary real return — inflation only marginally reduces gains of this magnitude.

How did Tesla perform in 2016?

Tesla fell 2.8% during 2016, from $14.89 at the start of the year to $14.47 at the start of 2017.

What If You Invested $1,000 in Tesla in 2016?

Q: Did Tesla pay dividends?

No. Tesla paid no dividends over this period, so the whole return came from its share price.

Try your own numbers

If I had putintoat the start of…

it would be worth today

$23,696

+$22,696 profit23.7x34.3% a year

The same $1,000 in an S&P 500 index fund: $4,501

Aftertax on the gain, you’d keep$20,292

US federal long-term rates: 15% for most people, 0% on lower incomes, 20% + 3.8% on high incomes. No state tax included; none inside a Roth IRA.

Compare with

Growth Over Time

Performance Metrics

Total Invested

$1,000.00

Current Value

$23,696.44

Total Profit

$22,696.44

Multiplier

23.7x

CAGR

34.3%

Max Drawdown

-73.0%

Inflation-Adjusted

$17,445.23

Benchmark Comparison

How does $1,000.00 invested in 2016 compare across different asset classes?

Asset	Value Today	Return
Tesla	$23,696.44	23.7x
S&P 500	$4,501.29	4.50x
Gold	$3,968.08	3.97x
Savings (2% APY)	$1,237.13	1.24x

Dividends

Tesla paid no dividends over this period, so the whole return came from its share price.

Dividends from Yahoo Finance. Shares today assume every dividend was reinvested.

Back in 2016

In March 2016, Tesla unveiled its $35,000 Model 3 sedan, and Elon Musk said pre-orders had already topped 115,000 before the car was even shown. engadget.com
In 2016, a gallon of gas averaged $2.14, a movie ticket averaged $8.65 and the new iPhone 7 started at $649. eia.gov apple.com deadline.com
During 2016 itself, Tesla fell 2.8%, #74 of the 85 investments we track. The best was Ethereum (+778%); the worst was Palo Alto Networks (−26%). Full 2016 results →

$1,000 in Tesla, year by year

Of the 85 investments we track that were available at the start of 2016, Tesla ranks #10 by growth to today — just behind TSMC and ahead of ASML. See the full 2016 ranking →

Tesla started 2016 at its highest start-of-year price up to then, after rising 1.8% in 2015. It was worth less than the $1,000 put in at the start of 2017, and has been above it since the start of 2018. Its best January was 2026, at $29,420. Today it's 19% below that, so selling then would have beaten holding. It rose in 7 of the 10 full years since. It moved ahead of the same $1,000 in the S&P 500 at the start of 2018 and has stayed ahead since. Month by month, the deepest fall ran from Nov 2021 ($25,511) to Dec 2022 ($8,235), a drop of 68%. At its lowest month-end, in May 2019, it was worth $825.25.

When	Worth	Change	S&P 500
Start of 2016	$1,000	—	$1,000
Start of 2017	$972	−2.8%	$1,120
Start of 2018	$1,435	+48%	$1,364
Start of 2019	$1,388	−3.3%	$1,304
Start of 2020	$1,926	+39%	$1,715
Start of 2021	$16,320	+747%	$2,030
Start of 2022	$26,864	+65%	$2,613
Start of 2023	$7,260	−73%	$2,140
Start of 2024	$16,684	+130%	$2,702
Start of 2025	$25,423	+52%	$3,379
Start of 2026	$29,420	+16%	$3,983
Today	$23,696	−19%	$4,501

Values at the start of each year (first trading day for stocks). The S&P 500 column includes reinvested dividends, like the stock values.

Historical Context

At the start of 2016, Tesla was priced at $14.89 (adjusted for later splits and dividends). $1,000 would have bought about 67.16 shares. Tesla makes electric vehicles, batteries and energy-storage systems. It went public on the Nasdaq in June 2010.

Measured from one January to the next, Tesla's best year since then was 2020 (+747%) and its worst was 2022 (−73%). Holding on wasn't easy: between the start of 2022 and the start of 2023, the position fell 73% from its high.

Frequently Asked Questions

A $1,000 investment in Tesla at the start of 2016 would be worth approximately $23,696.44 today — a 23.7x return ($22,696.44 profit) over 10.7 years.

Methodology & Sources

Price data: Historical prices are the closing price on the first trading day of each year, adjusted for splits and dividends (so returns assume dividends were reinvested), from Yahoo Finance and MacroTrends. Current prices come from Yahoo Finance and refresh hourly; if that source is unavailable, the last saved price is used.

Calculation: Assumes a single purchase at the start of 2016 (or the first trading day, for companies that listed that year), held until today. No transaction fees, taxes, or slippage are included.

Benchmarks: The S&P 500 comparison uses the S&P 500 Total Return index (dividends reinvested, like an index fund) at the start of2016 and today. Gold uses the price per troy ounce. Savings account assumes a 2% APY compounded annually.

Inflation adjustment: Uses U.S. CPI-U annual averages from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 2026 CPI value is estimated.

Educational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Not financial advice.