MacPainter

sconosciuto said:

for years I had a number in mind. At that price, my AAPL shares would be worth $2 million.

I happened to be looking at the Stocks app when it hit that number this past week. Got a screen shot of it and also of the calculator showing the exact worth of my shares at that price. It closed above that and has stayed above it. It's in my retirement account... but one of the few silver linings of being in my late 50s is that in about 15 months I can start drawing on it - if I wish - without early withdrawal penalty. It's not my only significant asset but it's been key to my financial security for years: knowing that my retirement is secured has freed up my work and investment income for other useful purposes. I've got an amazing job I love at a world-class institution that I will never lose so long as I don't do either of two things that are very easy to not do. I'm pretty much set for life thanks to a very modest investment I made in AAPL 23 years ago.

It happened to be an outstanding day for me for other reasons, such as the intel fed to me about the latest laughably bad life choices my clueless, triumphant ex is making. It seems a couple of her friends whom she mistakenly trusts too much share my disappointment in her and are eager to spill the T for their own reasons.

I'll remember 6/27/23 for quite a while.

Next stop, $3 million. Thanks Steve. Thanks Tim.

Thanks for the beautiful post.  Registered with the forum after reading this site daily for over 20 years to echo your sentiment.  It seems oddly that many of us hit the same $2MM milestone this week.

I bought my first stock (AAPL of course) in 2000 when I had $1,000 of disposable income for the first time.  Like a novice I panicked and sold it for a loss(!) within a year despite being quite literally a lifelong Apple fanatic since the ‘70s.  I never doubted Apple, but I did doubt investors who could influence the valuation.  Later I learned that investors’ shortsightedness and doubts only made the stock more appealing for the long term.

My big break came in 2008 (coincidentally the iPhone year) when I received a $40k severance.  (Incidentally it’s crazy that I now frame losing my favorite job as my big break).  I put all of it into AAPL and also rolled over 401(k) into an IRA and put 100% of it into AAPL as well.  I still remember the awkward silence when the broker asked me if I wanted help investing and I said no it’s all going into Apple.  A couple years later I used the non-retirement investment to fund a multi year break from working.  If I hadn’t done that I’d be retired by now, but it was therapeutic.  Meanwhile my rollover and Roth IRA which have always been 100% AAPL and they shot through the roof.  Later I started supplementing it with regular take-home pay investments, always buying and — literally never selling a share to this day — amassing over 10,000 shares which hit the $2MM milestone after years of almost daily monitoring.

2022 was decidedly a rough ride but as you know there are routinely days when AAPL gains top tens of thousands of dollars and many years when those returns dwarf my 6-figure income.  The lesson you reference RE: capital gains was one that only hit me this past year.  Such a shame that company retirement accounts don’t let us put post-tax money into ETFs (at least not where I’ve worked).  Still, I’m in no position to complain.

I’m now hopefully a few years away from a decent retirement in my mid-50s.  AAPL growing another 50% will unlock that milestone for me, which hopefully will happen within 6 years.

Thank you Steve and Tim for the peace of mind and security you’ve given me.  Looking forward to all the insanely great products to come.