What was Tesla's compound annual growth rate (CAGR) since 2020?

Tesla's CAGR from 2020 to September 2026 was 45.1% 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 2020?

The same $1,000 invested in an S&P 500 index fund in 2020 would be worth approximately $2,624.85 today. Tesla outperformed the index by $9,677.80 — 4.69x the return of the S&P 500.

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

Sold today, the $11,302.65 gain would be a long-term capital gain for US federal tax. At the 15% rate most people pay, you'd keep about $10,607.25. At the top rate of 23.8% (20% plus the 3.8% net investment income tax) you'd keep about $9,612.62, 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 2020?

Adjusted for cumulative US inflation since 2020, the real purchasing-power value of the Tesla position is approximately $9,766.64 in 2020 dollars. Even after inflation, this is an extraordinary real return — inflation only marginally reduces gains of this magnitude.

How did Tesla perform in 2020?

Tesla rose 747% during 2020, from $28.68 at the start of the year to $243.00 at the start of 2021.

What If You Invested $1,000 in Tesla in 2020?

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

$12,303

+$11,303 profit12.3x45.1% a year

The same $1,000 in an S&P 500 index fund: $2,625

Aftertax on the gain, you’d keep$10,607

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

$12,302.65

Total Profit

$11,302.65

Multiplier

12.3x

CAGR

45.1%

Max Drawdown

-73.0%

Inflation-Adjusted

$9,766.64

Benchmark Comparison

How does $1,000.00 invested in 2020 compare across different asset classes?

Asset	Value Today	Return
Tesla	$12,302.65	12.3x
S&P 500	$2,624.85	2.62x
Gold	$2,778.51	2.78x
Savings (2% APY)	$1,142.92	1.14x

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 2020

In June 2020, the Tesla Model S Long Range Plus was rated by the EPA at 402 miles on a charge, breaking the 400-mile barrier for electric cars. engadget.com
In 2020, a gallon of gas averaged $2.17 and the new iPhone 12 Pro started at $999. eia.gov apple.com
During 2020 itself, Tesla rose 747%, the best of the 103 investments we track. The worst was AMC Entertainment (−73%). Full 2020 results →

$1,000 in Tesla, year by year

Of the 103 investments we track that were available at the start of 2020, Tesla ranks #13 by growth to today — just behind AMD and ahead of Bitcoin. See the full 2020 ranking →

Tesla started 2020 at its highest start-of-year price up to then, after rising 39% in 2019. It has been worth more than the $1,000 put in at every January since, and still is today. Its best January was 2026, at $15,274. Today it's 19% below that, so selling then would have beaten holding. It rose in 5 of the 6 full years since. It has been ahead of the same $1,000 in the S&P 500 at every January since, and still is. Month by month, the deepest fall ran from Nov 2021 ($13,245) to Dec 2022 ($4,275), a drop of 68%.

When	Worth	Change	S&P 500
Start of 2020	$1,000	—	$1,000
Start of 2021	$8,473	+747%	$1,184
Start of 2022	$13,947	+65%	$1,524
Start of 2023	$3,769	−73%	$1,248
Start of 2024	$8,662	+130%	$1,576
Start of 2025	$13,199	+52%	$1,970
Start of 2026	$15,274	+16%	$2,322
Today	$12,303	−19%	$2,625

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 2020, Tesla was priced at $28.68 (adjusted for later splits and dividends). $1,000 would have bought about 34.87 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 2020 would be worth approximately $12,302.65 today — a 12.3x return ($11,302.65 profit) over 6.7 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 2020 (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 of2020 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.