What if you bought Google the day AlphaGo beat Lee Sedol?
This uses real data to show what would have happened if you had invested a lump sum in Alphabet (GOOGL), Google's parent, on March 9, 2016 — the day Google DeepMind's AlphaGo won its first game against Go master Lee Sedol — and held until now. As a single stock, be mindful of survivorship bias.
⚠️ Know the risk first
A newsworthy event does not mean the stock rose, and Alphabet too fell sharply from its peak in the 2018 and 2022 selloffs. The final return only holds if you held through those stretches without selling.
⚠️ 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
On March 9, 2016, Google DeepMind's Go AI AlphaGo won the first game of its five-game series against Go master Lee Sedol in Seoul. In Go, whose vast possibilities had seemed beyond AI, this win became a symbolic event etching 'the age of AI' worldwide, especially in Korea.
Why this date
Using the first-win day of the AlphaGo match — a symbol of the AI era — as a milestone, it computes 'what if you invested in the related company (Google's parent, Alphabet) on the day of that event.'
Investment conditions
Asset · Alphabet (GOOGL) · lump-sum on the 2016 AlphaGo match day, then held long-term
Method · Lump-sum (all at once)
Period · 2016-03-09 ~ 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)
-44.3%
Largest drop from peak
Longest loss period
1months
Months in loss: 2
Recovery period
15months
Growth over time
Invested principal (dashed) and portfolio value (solid). Values below match the calculation.
Total invested $7,407 → Final value $74,423 (+904.7%), Maximum drawdown (MDD) -44.3%
Why this period and asset
March 9, 2016 is the day Google DeepMind's Go AI 'AlphaGo' won the first game of its five-game series against Go master Lee Sedol in Seoul. Because Go's astronomical number of possibilities had made it seem beyond AI for years, this win was etched worldwide — and especially in Korea — as a symbolic 'the age of AI has arrived.' Note, however, that while it was hugely newsworthy, the event itself did not directly translate into Alphabet's earnings.
Interpreting the result
If you bought on this match day and held without selling, you can see the final value and return in the metrics below. But 'a newsworthy AI event' and 'the stock price' are separate things. Alphabet grew over several years afterward, but there were also large drawdown stretches in between, including the 2018 and 2022 selloffs. Don't look only at the final return — review the maximum drawdown along the way. Investing gradually each month instead of all at once would have spread out the entry-timing risk.
Caveats & limits
We merely used a newsworthy event date as the buy point; the event does not mean the stock rose. As a single stock, be mindful of survivorship bias — Alphabet is a large-cap picked in hindsight because it survived and grew. Figures use adjusted close and exclude exchange rates, fees, and taxes; always review the maximum drawdown and loss periods. Past results do not guarantee the future.
Event fact sources
- American Go E-Journal — AlphaGo Defeats Lee Sedol in First Game (2016-03-09)
- Wikipedia — AlphaGo versus Lee Sedol (first game 2016-03-09, Seoul)
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 use March 9, 2016 as the buy date?
That is the day AlphaGo won its first game against Lee Sedol, etching 'the age of AI' worldwide. Using this event — especially famous in Korea — as a milestone, it shows 'what if you invested in the related company that day.'
Did the AlphaGo match immediately lift Google's stock?
Not necessarily. Buzz and stock price are separate. Alphabet grew over several years afterward, but that reflected search, ads, cloud, and overall earnings — not the result of a single day's match.
Were there loss periods along the way?
Yes. Alphabet too fell sharply from its peak in the 2018 and 2022 selloffs. Check the maximum drawdown metric below. The final return only holds if you held through those stretches without selling.
Are FX and taxes reflected?
No. Exchange rates, trading fees, and taxes are not reflected — figures are pre-tax. This page only shows historical data and recommends no specific stock.
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.