What if you had buried 10 million won in Samsung 20 years ago (2004)?
Many remember Samsung Electronics by its '2021 all-time high,' but this page goes back 20 years to early 2004: what would have happened if you had put in 10 million won and buried it without selling? We examine the effect of a good entry point alongside the several drawdowns in between.
⚠️ Know the risk first
There were several large drawdowns over the 20-odd years. The final return only holds if you held through those declines without selling, and as a single stock, be mindful of survivorship bias.
⚠️ This asset is an individual stock chosen as of today, so past returns can look better than they really were (survivorship bias).
What happened that day
A very-long-term case of investing in Samsung Electronics in early 2004 and burying it for 20-odd years. Over this period, Samsung passed through several large drawdowns, including the 2008 financial crisis, the 2018–2019 chip downcycle, and the 2022 bear market.
Why this date
The buy date is an ordinary point 20 years ago rather than a peak (2021), contrasting 'burying it long-term' with 'the effect of your entry timing.' We use an early-2004 trading day where data is available as the start.
Investment conditions
Asset · Samsung Electronics (005930) · lump-sum in early 2004, then held very long-term
Method · Lump-sum (all at once)
Period · 2004-01-02 ~ 2026-07-01
Amount · $7,407
As of · 2026-07-01
Key metrics
These results do not reflect taxes. Based on historical data.
Buy and final prices are shown in the asset's local currency (US & crypto $, Japan ¥, Korea ₩). Total invested and final value are in Korean won (₩).
Risk & recovery
As important as returns. This service does not hide maximum drawdown or loss periods.
Maximum drawdown (MDD)
-47.3%
Largest drop from peak
Longest loss period
2months
Months in loss: 3
Recovery period
8months
Growth over time
Invested principal (dashed) and portfolio value (solid). Values below match the calculation.
Total invested $7,407 → Final value $370,851 (+4906.5%), Maximum drawdown (MDD) -47.3%
Why this period and asset
In early 2004, Samsung Electronics was already a flagship Korean conglomerate, but before it fully became the 'national stock' it is today, cycling through the ups and downs of the semiconductor cycle. Over these 20-odd years, Samsung passed through several large drawdowns — the 2008 global financial crisis, the 2018–2019 memory-chip downcycle, the 2022 bear market, and more. 'Burying it for 20 years' is not a comfortable straight climb but a path that only works if you held through those repeated declines without selling.
Interpreting the result
Bought not at a peak (2021) but at an ordinary point 20 years earlier, this case shows how much 'when you bought' changes the outcome. Review the final value and annualized return (XIRR) in the metrics below, but always also check the maximum drawdown and loss periods that recurred over those 20 years. Had you sold during those declines, the result changes entirely. Investing gradually each month would have relied less on any single entry price. As a single stock, the risk is greater than an index.
Caveats & limits
Samsung is a flagship company that survived and grew enormously, so be mindful of survivorship bias. A different stock that looked promising in 2004 could have produced a completely different result. This path also contained several large drawdowns, and it takes holding through each of them without selling to arrive at this result. Figures use adjusted close (dividends and splits reflected) in KRW and exclude fees and taxes; always review the maximum drawdown and loss periods.
Event fact sources
- Korea Exchange (KRX) Samsung long-term prices
- Yahoo Finance 005930.KS adjusted-close history (2004–)
Requested date vs actual trading date
If the event date is a holiday, the fill uses the next trading day's close. The 'effective trading date' below is the date actually used.
Data sources & limits
- Price data source: Yahoo Finance / FinanceDataReader
- Collected on: 2026-07-28
- Effective trading date: 2026-07-01
- Price basis: Adjusted close (reflects dividends and stock splits)
- This asset is an individual stock chosen as of today, so past returns can look better than they really were (survivorship bias).
- Trading fees and taxes are not reflected — figures are pre-tax.
- Based on historical data; does not guarantee future returns.
Frequently asked questions
Why 2004 rather than the 2021 all-time high?
There are separate cases for buying at a peak; this page instead shows 'what if you bought at an ordinary point 20 years ago and buried it.' The aim is to understand, by contrast, how much your entry point changes the outcome.
Did it only go up for 20 years?
No. There were several large declines, including the 2008 financial crisis, the 2018–2019 chip downcycle, and the 2022 bear market. Be sure to check the maximum drawdown and loss-period metrics below. This result rests on having held through those declines without selling.
Does this mean I should buy Samsung?
No. This page only shows one stock's past path in data and recommends no stock. Samsung is looking back only at a stock that survived and grew to the end, so be mindful of survivorship bias.
Are FX and taxes reflected?
Samsung is a domestic stock shown in KRW, so there is no FX issue. However, trading fees, taxes, and dividend taxes are not reflected — figures are pre-tax. Adjusted close reflects dividends and stock splits.
Related scenarios
📋 Results are based on historical data; past returns do not guarantee future returns.
📋 This service is provided for educational purposes to help you understand investing, not as investment advice.
⚠️ Calculated using today's representative assets, which may differ from the market composition at the time.