Anyone who was smart enough to get in at the IPO in 1992 and hold the stock until today are sitting on a gain of around 17,000%! That kind of performance is simply amazing, and investing in a stock like Gilead early on can turn even a few thousand dollars into a life-changing amount of money. I've known about Gilead's products and prospects for several years now, but I've never been smart enough to buy a few shares for my own portfolio.