Buying stocks in quality companies and holding them for years, if not decades, has proved to be the clearest path to wealth generation -- but it's easier said than done. Most investors buy with the intention of holding through the usual ups and downs that are part of stock ownership. Yet the real test comes when a stock plunges, as it inevitably does, and fair-weather investors head for the exits.

Take Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) for example. The maker of graphics processing units (GPUs) has been a life-changing investment for long-term shareholders. The stock has gained more than 27,000% over the past decade. Put another way, investors who bought $1,000 worth of Nvidia stock 10 years ago are sitting on more than $274,000 -- but traveling that path hasn't been easy.

In fact, just two years ago, Nvidia stock plunged 66% from its high.

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Source Fool.com