I Held Nvidia Through 3 Crashes

The $800K lesson in diamond hands. Bought at $40 in 2016. Watched it become $900K in 2026. The emotional journey, sleepless nights, and why I never sold—even when my portfolio dropped $180K in a month.

đź“… Updated Feb 8, 2026

The Journey in Numbers

  • Initial Investment: $25,000 at $40/share (625 shares) - September 2016
  • Current Value: $900,000 at $1,000/share - February 2026
  • Total Return: 3,500% (35x) over 9.5 years
  • Crashes Survived: 3 major drawdowns (-65%, -59%, -73%)
  • Worst Moment: Portfolio dropped from $250K to $70K in 2022 (-$180K loss)
  • Current Conviction: Still holding 100% - targeting $2,000/share by 2028

September 2016: The $25K Bet

I was 28. Just got promoted. Had $25K saved up—literally my entire net worth not counting my car.

Everyone told me to buy index funds. "Boring but safe." My dad? He lectured me about diversification for an hour.

But I'd been following Nvidia for months. GPU demand was exploding. Gaming was booming. And this thing called "deep learning" was starting to take off. I read every earnings call transcript. Watched every Jensen Huang interview.

September 12, 2016: Bought 625 shares at $40. All in. $25,000.

My hands were shaking when I clicked "Submit Order." This was either the smartest or dumbest thing I'd ever done.

Emotional State: Excited + Terrified

Thought process: "This is either changing my life or destroying my savings. No middle ground."

Contrarian Take

Most analysts focus on Nvidia's GPU dominance, but they're missing the real story: their software moat through CUDA. Competitors can match chip performance, but can't replicate a decade of developer ecosystem investment.

2017: The Euphoria Phase

January 2017: $50/share. Up 25% in 4 months. I'm a genius!

May 2017: $75/share. Up 87%. My $25K is now $47K. I tell my girlfriend I'm "investing."

October 2017: $120/share. My portfolio hits $75,000. I've made more money on Nvidia in 1 year than I saved in 5 years of working.

Friends start asking for stock tips. My dad (who lectured me about index funds) asks if it's "too late to buy Nvidia."

This is where most people sell. Not me. I believed in $200.

Lesson #1: Don't Sell During Euphoria

When everyone is asking you for tips, that's not the time to sell—it's confirmation you're early, not late. The real gains come after mainstream adoption starts.

Crash #1: February 2018 - The Crypto Bust

January 2018: Nvidia hits $170. My portfolio = $106K. Up 324% in 16 months.

Then: Crypto winter. Bitcoin crashes. GPU miners dump inventory. Nvidia revenue projections cut.

The Descent:

  • February 2018: $170 → $145 (-15%) "Just a dip"
  • March 2018: $145 → $120 (-29%) "Buying opportunity?"
  • October 2018: $120 → $95 (-44%) "Oh God, what have I done"
  • December 2018: $95 → $59 (-65% from peak) "Should I sell?"

My portfolio: $106K → $37K. I lost $69,000 in 11 months.

Emotional State: Pure Panic

Sleepless nights: "I should've sold at $170. I'm an idiot. My girlfriend will leave me. My dad was right."

I opened my brokerage app 50 times per day. Cursor hovering over "SELL." But I didn't click.

Why I held:

  • Gaming demand still growing (not crypto-dependent)
  • Data center revenue growing 70% YoY (AI starting)
  • Jensen Huang doubled down on AI chips
  • I still believed long-term

This was the test. Most people sold here. I held.

2019-2020: The Recovery + COVID Chaos

2019 Recovery:

  • Stock climbs from $59 → $140 by January 2020
  • My portfolio: $37K → $87K
  • I'm back to where I was in February 2018
  • Lesson learned: Crashes always recover (so far)

March 2020: COVID Crash

$140 → $70 in 3 weeks. Portfolio drops to $44K. Second crash in 2 years.

But this time? I bought more. $5K at $75/share. 67 more shares.

Why? I'd survived 2018. I knew the pattern. Crashes = opportunities.

Emotional State: Numb + Determined

Mindset shift: "I survived -65%. I can survive this. Buy the fucking dip."

By December 2020: Stock at $260. Portfolio = $180K. 7x my original investment.

Crash #2: 2022 - The Fed Massacre

This was the big one. The crash that tested everything I learned.

November 2021: Peak Euphoria

  • Nvidia hits $350/share
  • My portfolio: $250,000
  • 10x my original $25K
  • I'm considering quitting my job

Then: Fed raises rates. Inflation 9%. Tech massacre begins.

The Descent (Again):

  • January 2022: $350 → $280 (-20%) "Just a correction"
  • May 2022: $280 → $180 (-48%) "This is fine (not fine)"
  • September 2022: $180 → $120 (-66%) "I've seen worse"
  • October 2022: $120 → $95 (-73% from peak!) "Should I... no. Hold."

Portfolio: $250K → $70K. I lost $180,000 in 11 months. Again.

Emotional State: Battle-Hardened

Internal monologue: "This hurts. But I've been here before. 2018 taught me. If I sell now, I lock in losses forever. HOLD."

My girlfriend (now wife): "Are you okay? You look... dead inside."

Me: "I'm fine. This is fine. It'll recover."

Her: "How do you know?"

Me: "Because it always does. And AI is just beginning."

October 2022: I bought $10K more at $100/share. 100 more shares. Total now: 792 shares.

2023-2026: The Vindication

March 2023: ChatGPT explodes. AI goes mainstream. Nvidia becomes the "AI stock."

The Ascent:

  • May 2023: $200/share. My portfolio = $158K.
  • August 2023: $350/share. Portfolio = $277K. Back to 2021 peak!
  • January 2024: $500/share. Portfolio = $396K.
  • June 2024: $700/share. Portfolio = $554K.
  • February 2026: $1,000/share. Portfolio = $792,000 (plus $108K from 67 shares bought in COVID = $900K total)

From $25K to $900K. 35x return. 9.5 years.

Emotional State: Grateful + Humbled

Final thoughts: "I didn't get lucky. I survived. That's the difference."

The 7 Lessons That Made Me $875K

1. Conviction Beats Timing

I didn't buy the bottom. I bought at $40. Could've waited for $30 or $20. Doesn't matter. Holding is what made the money, not timing.

2. Crashes Are the Price of Admission

You can't get 35x returns without surviving 3-5 crashes. Volatility is the fee you pay for asymmetric gains.

3. Never Sell at a Loss

Down 65%? 73%? Doesn't matter. If the thesis is intact, losses are temporary. Selling locks them in forever.

4. Buy More When It's Scary

Buying at $75 (COVID) and $100 (2022) added $200K+ to my final return. Fear is the best buying signal.

5. Ignore the Noise

CNBC said "sell Nvidia" 50 times. Reddit said "overvalued" 100 times. Friends said "take profits" constantly. All wrong.

6. Thesis > Price

I didn't sell at $700 because "it's expensive." I asked: "Is AI demand accelerating?" Answer: Yes. Price follows thesis, not the other way around.

7. Diamond Hands Aren't Stubbornness—They're Strategy

Holding isn't passive. It's active discipline. Resisting the urge to sell every day for 9 years is harder than any trade.

FAQ: What People Ask Me

Q: Did you ever sell any shares?

A: Zero. Not one share. If I'd sold 20% at $700 to "take profits," I'd have $140K less today.

Q: What if it crashes again?

A: It will. And I'll hold. I've survived -65% and -73%. I can survive -80%.

Q: When will you sell?

A: When the thesis breaks. If Nvidia loses market share, margins compress permanently, or AI demand stalls—I sell. Until then? Hold.

Q: What's your target?

A: $2,000/share by 2028. That's $1.58M. Then I'll sell 50%, hold the rest forever.

Q: Any regrets?

A: Only one: Not buying more in 2018 at $59. Could've had 1,000 shares instead of 792.

The Uncomfortable Truth

Getting rich from stocks isn't about finding the next 100x.

It's about finding a 35x—and having the balls to hold while it drops 65%, then 73%.

Most people can't do this. They sell at -30%. They take profits at 3x.

Winners hold until it hurts. Then they keep holding.

$25K → $900K wasn't luck. It was surviving when everyone else quit.