A Los Angeles software engineer who bought Tesla shares in March 2013 saw his original investment grow to $2.79 million by October 2, 2026, representing a 146.9x return. Ramp Capital puts the initial cost at $19,000, reported as 2,500 shares at $7.50 each; after Tesla’s August 2020 five-for-one split and August 2022 three-for-one split, that lot became 7,500 shares. The strategy also brought major setbacks. A 2018 margin call (forced sale of collateral) on borrowed money led him to sell 1,600 shares. Jason DeBolt later said on X that he sold his Hollywood Hills home, with the winning offer closing Dec. 7, 2020, to fund additional Tesla purchases. He retired from his corporate engineering job on January 7, 2021, at age 39, after his holdings reached roughly $13 million across a brokerage account, rollover 401(k) and Roth IRA. Tesla subsequently fell 76%, from $415 to $101, between its earlier peak and January 2023. DeBolt bought about 10,000 more shares at between $128 and $139, bringing his position to 48,000 shares. Tesla traded at $372.16 at 12:59 PM ET on October 2, 2026, up 5.10% that day but down 17.25% year-to-date and 19% over the past year. The account illustrates the potential rewards of long-term conviction, while also underscoring the risks of leverage, extreme concentration and using a primary residence to finance one volatile stock.