The stock market has a stellar track record of creating wealth, even for investors who simply bought an index fund and held for the long term. But investors willing to take a chance on individual stocks have in some cases absolutely crushed the return of the broader market.

Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) was founded in 1975. It went public 11 years later in 1986 with a market valuation of just $777 million. Today it's worth a whopping $2.7 trillion, making it the second-largest company in the world.

Investors who bought Microsoft stock at its IPO and held until now would be sitting on a capital gain of 506,265%. In other words, a mere $200 invested back in 1986 would be worth $1 million today.

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Source Fool.com