Your $1,000 Gold Investment 10 Years Ago? It's Worth $2,360 Now

If you bought gold a decade ago at $1,158.86/oz, today’s price around $2,744.67/oz means your stack gained 136%. That’s solid—but here’s the awkward part: S&P 500 crushed it with 174% over the same period.

Gold’s got a weird track record. After Nixon cut the dollar-gold link in 1971, it went absolutely mental in the 70s (40.2% annual return). Then 1980 onwards? Just 4.4% yearly. The 90s were rough for bullion holders.

Why do people still stack it then?

The hedge play. Gold doesn’t generate cash flow like stocks or real estate—it just sits there. But when everything goes sideways (geopolitical chaos, currency inflation), gold tends to pop. See 2020 (+24.43%) and 2023 (+13.08%) for proof. Analysts expect another ~10% gain in 2025, potentially hitting $3,000/oz.

Bottom line: Gold isn’t trying to beat the market. It’s insurance. Your portfolio crashes? Gold usually doesn’t. Non-correlated asset = diversification. Not exciting, but when zombie apocalypse happens, you’ll be glad you held some.