From AOL today:

Do you ever wish you had invested in Amazon or Apple before they hit the jackpot? Nobody can predict the future, but if you went back 10 years with only $100 and the knowledge you have now, you could be a billionaire today. [Here is] how it’s possible.

Yahoo (YHOO)

Year: 1997
Jan. 1: $100
Dec. 31: $611

If you invested $100 in Yahoo stock at the start of 1997, the year of the Spice Girls, Hanson, and Titanic, you’d have $611 by the end of the year, thanks to Yahoo’s 511% return.

Amazon.com (AMZN)

Year: 1998
Jan. 1: $611
Dec. 31: $6,532

If you invested the previous $611 in Amazon.com stock at the start of 1998, the year Sex and the City debuted and Britney Spears was still innocent, you’d have (roughly) $6,532 by the end of the year, thanks to Amazon.com’s 971% return.

QUALCOMM Inc (QCOM)

Year: 1999
Jan. 1: $6,532
Dec. 31: $175,327

If you invested the previous $6,532 in QUALCOMM stock at the start of 1999, the year Backstreet Boys and NSYNC were big and everyone was freaked out about a global “Y2K” crash, you’d have $175,327 by the end of the year, thanks to QUALCOMM’s 2587% return.

Lab Corp. of America (LH)

Year: 2000
Jan. 1: $175,327
Dec. 31: $836,704

If you invested the previous $175,327 in LabCorp stock at the start of 2000, the year hanging chads made for a very interesting election outcome, you’d have $836,704 by the end of the year, thanks to LabCorp’s 377% return.

NVidia (NVDA)

Year: 2001
Jan. 1: $836,704
Dec. 31: $3,392,432

If you invested the previous $836,704 in NVidia stock at the start of 2001, the year Silicon Valley was imploding and stock investors were no longer printing their own profits, you’d have $3,392,432 by the end of the year, thanks to NVidia’s 305% advance.

MEMC Electronic Materials (WFR)

Year: 2002
Jan. 1: $3,392,432
Dec. 31: $7,213,680

If you invested the previous (roughly) $3.5 million in MEMC stock at the start of 2002, the year American Idol began launching homegrown superstars, you’d have $7,213,680 by the end of the year, thanks to MEMC’s 113% gain.

Akamai Technologies (AKAM)

Year: 2003
Jan. 1: $7,213,680
Dec. 31: $43,270,538

If you invested the previous $7.2 million in Akamai Technologies stock at the start of 2003, the year the Iraq war started and the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie plundered box offices worldwide, you’d have $43,270,538 by the end of the year, thanks to Akamai Technologies’s 498% return.

Sears Holdings (SHLD)

Year: 2004
Jan. 1: $43,270,538
Dec. 31: $179,147,269

If you invested the previous $43,270,538 in Sears Holdings stock at the start of 2004, the year John Kerry and George W. Bush went head-to-head for the White House, you’d have $179,147,269 by the end of the year, thanks to Sears Holdings’s 314% return.

SanDisk (SNDK)

Year: 2005
Jan. 1: $179,147,269
Dec. 31: $448,904,325

If you invested the previous $179 million in SanDisk stock at the start of 2005, the year Hurricane Katrina demolished New Orleans and Pope Benedict XVI succeeded Pope John Paul II, you’d have $448,904,325 by the end of the year, thanks to SanDisk’s 151% advance.

Allegheny Technologies (ATI)

Year: 2006
Jan. 1: $448,904,325
Dec. 31: $1,118,314,364

If you invested the previous $448,904,325 in ATI stock at the start of 2006, the year the Steelers won Superbowl XL, you’d have $1,118,314,364, thanks to ATI’s 149% gain. More than $1 billion in just 10 years.