Everybody knows how the original Microsoft and Apple employees became millionaires the day their companies' went public, but what about those investors with foresight (or luck)? See how much money you would have made today if you had dropped only $1k into these 10 different tech companies the moment they started slicing off shares.
After seeing the numbers, you may wish you had. (We sure do.)
1. Microsoft
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Date of IPO: March 18, 1986
Your $1k is now worth: $821,261
Starting price per share: $21
Annualized return: 25.15%
If you didn't already know why Bill Gates is the richest man in the world, you do now. Microsoft (MSFT) is the world's largest software maker by revenue and one of the most valuable companies in existence.
2. Oracle
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Date of IPO: March 12, 1986
Your $1k is now worth: $610,697
Starting price per share: $20
Annualized return: 23.91%
Oracle (ORCL) is also one of the largest software manufacturers in the world (often ranked just behind Microsoft), but the firm specializes in building and developing database tools.
3. Adobe
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Date of IPO: Aug. 16, 1986
Your $1k is now worth: $465,243
Starting price per share: $7
Annualized return: 23.15%
$1k would have bought quite a few Adobe (ADBE) shares back in 1986 (142 to be exact). Another software company, Adobe is well-known for Photoshop, its multimedia products and the PDF.
4. Amazon
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Date of IPO: May 15, 1997
Your $1k is now worth: $368,066
Starting price per share: $18
Annualized return: 37.04%
Amazon (AMZN) is the first on the list that didn't have its IPO in 1986, and we all know the online book store that has grown into the largest online retailer in the US. If only that $1k could have been there at the beginning...
5. Apple
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Date of IPO: Dec. 12, 1980
Your $1k is now worth: $186,188
Starting price per share: $22
Annualized return: 16.02%
Apple (AAPL) is the most valuable company in the world, and seeing as it's a tech company, there should be no surprise it's on the list. They make iEverything, from software to laptops to phones—even watches are on the list now.
6. Netflix
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Date of IPO: May 23, 2002
Your $1k is now worth: $87,409
Starting price per share: $15
Annualized return: 38.42%
Remember when Netflix (NFLX) would actually send you movies in the mail? While the binge-watcher's best friend was successful from the start, it really took off once it shifted its focus to streaming in 2007.
7. IBM
Date of IPO: Jan. 2, 1962
Your $1k is now worth: $56,654
Starting price per share: $2.15
Annualized return: 7.78%
IBM (IBM) is the oldest company on the list (by far) and can trace its origins back over 100 years to 1911. It is best known for manufacturing computer hardware and software and is one of the largest US firms worldwide by number of employees.
8. eBay
Date of IPO: Sept. 21, 1998
Your $1k is now worth: $30,294
Starting price per share: $18
Annualized return: 21.63%
eBay (EBAY) is one of the most notable successes of the dot-com bubble. Today, the online auction house is a multibillion-dollar business with over 34,000 employees.
9. Yahoo
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Date of IPO: April 12, 1996
Your $1k is now worth: $23,854
Starting price per share: $13
Annualized return: 17.34%
While Yahoo (YHOO) hasn't been doing too hot lately, its stock grew steadily during the late '90s and has picked up a bit since the company acquired Geocities and Flickr. And after splitting no less than five times, Yahoo has given off solid returns.
10. Google
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Date of IPO: Aug. 19, 2004
Your $1k is now worth: $15,241
Starting price per share: $85
Annualized return: 26.73%
We know you've been wondering when you would see Google (GOOG) on the list, and here it is (in last place due to its high starting price). The internet king has expanded to much more than the original search engine, but that engine is still alive and kicking—Google processes over 1B search requests a day.
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