The Bureau of Historic Losses · Counterfactual Division
What if you'd bought Alphabet in 2020?
Alphabet opened 2020 near $68 (split-adjusted), then briefly wobbled in March as advertisers froze spending and recession looked certain. Digital advertising came roaring back faster than almost anyone expected, and the search monopoly resumed its climb.
$100 on 2020-01-02, worth today
US$530
As of 2026-06-12, $100 of Alphabet bought at 2020's open (US$67.83) is worth US$530 — 5.30×.
total return · dividends reinvested · USD
How much would $100 of Alphabet bought in 2020 be worth today?
| You'd have put in | You'd have now | Multiple |
|---|---|---|
| US$100 | US$530 | 5.30× |
| US$1,000 | US$5,302 | 5.30× |
| US$10,000 | US$53,025 | 5.30× |
Lump sum on the year's first trading day, total return (dividends reinvested, splits adjusted), valued at the latest close. Past performance isn't a promise — it's a taunt.
What did Alphabet do in 2020?
Opened
US$67.83
2020-01-02
Peaked
US$90.45
2020-12-02
Bottomed
US$52.24
2020-03-23
Closed
US$86.86
2020-12-31
Levels are dividend-adjusted, so historical figures look lower than the headline price of the day — that's the total-return lens, and it's the honest one.
Would steady buying have beaten going all in?
US$33,700 deployed as $100 a week from 2020-01-02, under four temperaments — same money, different nerves.
| All in on day one | US$178,693 |
| Steady weekly buys | US$98,521 |
| Sold dips, rebought rallies | US$71,806 |
| Traded it perfectly | US$110,185 |
“Traded it perfectly” requires knowing the future. Nobody knew the future.
The same $1,000, elsewhere
$1,000 at 2020's open, each valued at the latest close. Hindsight remains undefeated.
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