What if you invested $1,000 in eBay in 1998? (Inflation-Adjusted)
EBAY · Technology · Adjusted to 2026 dollars using BLS CPI-U data
View nominal (non-adjusted) versioneBay turned $1,000 into $129,819 between 1998 and today. Impressive on paper, but inflation over that span came to 0% (BLS CPI-U). Adjusted for that erosion in purchasing power, your real gain in constant 1998 dollars is $129,819, which works out to a +18.8% annualized real growth rate over 28 years.
Nominal final value
$129,819
+12,882% total return
Real value (1998 dollars)
$129,819
+12,882% real total return
Real annualized return
+18.8%
vs. +18.8% nominal annualized
Year-by-Year (Inflation-Adjusted)
$1,000 in eBay since 1998, values in constant 1998 dollars
| Year | Nominal Value | Real Value (1998 $) |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | $1,000 | $1,000 |
| 1999 | $6,161 | $6,161 |
| 2000 | $9,990 | $19,581 |
| 2001 | $6,574 | $12,557 |
| 2002 | $7,858 | $14,695 |
| 2003 | $10,007 | $18,314 |
| 2004 | $17,823 | $31,725 |
| 2005 | $21,703 | $37,330 |
| 2006 | $22,955 | $38,334 |
| 2007 | $17,251 | $27,946 |
| 2008 | $14,321 | $22,341 |
| 2009 | $6,402 | $10,051 |
| 2010 | $12,260 | $18,758 |
| 2011 | $16,170 | $23,769 |
| 2012 | $16,830 | $24,235 |
| 2013 | $29,809 | $42,031 |
| 2014 | $28,334 | $39,384 |
| 2015 | $28,227 | $39,236 |
| 2016 | $29,687 | $40,672 |
| 2017 | $40,279 | $53,974 |
| 2018 | $51,352 | $66,757 |
| 2019 | $42,582 | $54,079 |
| 2020 | $43,110 | $53,887 |
| 2021 | $73,634 | $87,624 |
| 2022 | $79,144 | $86,267 |
| 2023 | $66,446 | $69,768 |
| 2024 | $56,423 | $57,551 |
| 2025 | $94,506 | $94,506 |
| 2026 | $129,706 | $129,706 |
Inflation adjustment uses BLS CPI-U annual data, deflated to 2026 dollars. Nominal stock data from Yahoo Finance (split-adjusted closing prices). Real values are expressed in constant 1998 purchasing-power dollars. For informational and educational purposes only. Not financial advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results. See our methodology and full disclaimer.