Software company MicroStrategy Inc MSTR is heavily invested in Bitcoin BTC/USD thanks to the bullish support of its co-founder and executive chairman, Michael Saylor.
While Saylor's bullish Bitcoin bet has paid off for MicroStrategy shareholders, a 2012 interview recommending buying shares of Apple Inc AAPL could have returned slightly more to investors.
What Happened: Saylor has been bullish on Bitcoin for many years. He has also put his money — and MicroStrategy's money — where his mouth is.
While investors who followed Saylor's bullish take and MicroStrategy first buying Bitcoin in 2020 have profited nicely, a newly resurfaced video shared by Swan co-founder Neil Jacobs shows Saylor making a bold prediction on Apple in 2012.
See below.
What Saylor Said
"If you ask me, Apple Computer is going to $2,000 a share. I'd be very, very long that company," Saylor said in the video.
Apple went from being worth $3 billion 12 years ago to being worth $600 billion, thanks to its new devices like the iPhone and strong user base.
"Whoever is selling that stock must be a moron," Saylor said.
The Bitcoin bull compared the iPhone to a Dell computer that you put under a desk and don't care if its hot or ugly, you just want it to be $400 or $500. Saylor said if you put a phone in your pocket, you care if its hot and what it looks like, giving Apple an advantage.
Saylor said each iPhone model improves speed, battery life and is lighter, appealing to consumers to buy the newest device.
Unlike computers, which saw prices drop as they improved, Saylor said Apple doesn't need to lower its prices.
"People know just enough to hurt themselves," Saylor said of a person who asked him about Apple being able to maintain their prices.
Saylor compared Apple and the iPhone to LVMH’s LVMUY handbags — both items continue to sell for thousands of dollars.
"When the technology goes from being a utilitarian vocational brick that I put under my desk to being a piece of clothing, a fashion statement," Saylor said of the iPhone.
Saylor called iPhones and iPads as being somewhere between clothing, jewelry and accessories.
"They can hold that price point forever," Saylor said.
Saylor said Apple can sell an iPhone and iPad to consumers every two to five years.
Related Link: Michael Saylor Summarizes Why MicroStrategy Is Superior To Bitcoin ETFs
Was Saylor Correct?
Apple shares hit well over $2,000 on a split-adjusted basis years later, making Saylor's prediction correct.
Saylor's Apple thesis was mostly true. Today, the company does not need to lower prices. It also sells upgraded models of the iPhone with new features and improved battery life each year.
The iPhone becoming a must-have device has also rung true. The iPhone is one of the top market share leaders in smartphones and, in some cases, considered a status symbol.
Apple shares traded at a split-adjusted $21.31 on May 1, 2012. That could have been around the time Saylor's comments were made. A $1,000 investment in Apple shares at the time would be worth $9,824.80 today, up 882.5%.
Compare that to the +284.2% return of the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust over the same time period.
Thanks to its investment in Bitcoin, MicroStrategy has been a top performing stock of the last 10 years. The same $1,000 invested in MicroStrategy at the same time would be worth $9,374.91 today, up 837.5%.
Read Next: MicroStrategy’s Michael Saylor Vows To ‘Hold Forever,’ Eyes Bitcoin’s Long-Term Dominance
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Comments
Trade confidently with insights and alerts from analyst ratings, free reports and breaking news that affects the stocks you care about.
