In a time when everyone assumes financial markets are at their fingertips, Anthony Scaramucci’s long-overlooked stock purchase reminds us that sometimes patience—or simply not paying attention—can pay off big. This story starts back in 1992. At just 28 years old and a young dad, Scaramucci opened a stock account with Goldman Sachs and put in $1,200 on Microsoft stocks. He had no idea that nearly 30 years later, that small bet would blow up into a serious fortune.
The early days of putting money in
Way back in 1992, the internet wasn’t something most people had access to, so tracking your investments was a whole different game. Scaramucci got his account statements in the mail and, like many investors at the time, didn’t have the instant updates we’re used to today. When he set up his account at Goldman Sachs, he signed up for Microsoft’s “dividend reinvestment” plan—even though Microsoft didn’t pay dividends then (a quirky detail in his early strategy).
How $1,200 turned into $288,000
For almost 27 years, Scaramucci completely forgot about his Microsoft shares. During that period, Microsoft went through several stock splits. There was a 2-for-1 split in 1987 and again in 1990, followed by 3-for-2 splits in 1991 and 1992. Then, there were more splits in 1994, 1996, 1998, 1999, and finally in 2003. These stock splits meant that the number of shares he owned multiplied significantly (each split increasing his stake without him buying more).
When he finally took another look at his account, his modest $1,200 investment had ballooned to roughly $288,000. As Scaramucci explained, “I thought it had climbed to $88,000, but my son corrected me: ‘No, dad, it’s gone up to $288,000.’” Today, his portfolio is worth more than $300,000, a nod to both Microsoft’s growth and the power of stock splits over time.
Thoughts on missed chances
Even with this windfall, Scaramucci confessed he might have sold his shares during a long, flat period when Microsoft wasn’t really gaining ground under CEO Steve Ballmer. He remembered, “There was a period where Microsoft was flat for eight or nine years. If I had known I owned those shares, I would have sold them.” (Ballmer later went on to become the owner of the LA Clippers in the NBA.) Those years weren’t easy for many investors expecting tech companies like Microsoft to consistently shoot up. Still, Scaramucci’s experience shows that sometimes, just letting go of your worries can lead to a surprising payoff.
What we can take away from this
Anthony Scaramucci’s story about his forgotten Microsoft stock is a neat reminder for investors, whether you’re just starting out or have been around the block a few times. It shows that sometimes not stressing about your investments (or even forgetting about them) can bring unexpected rewards and that letting things sit for a long time might sometimes be worth it.
In our fast-moving tech and fintech world, stories like these encourage us to look at our investments with a long-term lens rather than getting hung up on every little move day-to-day. Thinking about Scaramucci’s experience with Microsoft, it makes you wonder how many other hidden opportunities might be quietly waiting in old accounts or overlooked stocks. After all, sometimes doing nothing can turn out to be a pretty significant move.
