$1,000 in SoFi 5 Years Ago? Here’s the Brutal (or Beautiful) Truth Today

SoFi’s rollercoaster ride—from fintech darling to Wall Street whipping boy—left early investors either grinning or groaning. Let’s crack open the numbers.

The Hype vs. Reality Check

Remember when neobanks were gonna ‘disrupt’ traditional finance? SoFi sprinted out the gate with student loans, crypto trading, and even space ETFs. Then the macro tides turned.

By the Numbers: Gains or Pains?

That $1,000 stake? Today it’s either a cautionary tale or a modest win—depending which volatile chapter you exited. (Spoiler: nobody ‘HODL’d’ flawlessly.)

Neobanks in 2025: Still Disrupting or Just Distracted?

Between Fed rate whiplash and meme-stock PTSD, SoFi’s survival says more about retail investors’ stubbornness than its balance sheet. But hey—at least they finally turned a profit. *Cue golf clap from Goldman Sachs*

Image source: Getty Images.

There have been plenty of opportunities to buy in the years since. In the 2022 bear market, SoFi traded for less than $5 per share at certain points. It's fair to say that many early SoFi investors, especially those who built their positions over time, have generated strong returns on their investments.

Why has SoFi performed better than most SPACs?

It's no secret that the majority of 2020-2021 SPAC initial public offerings (IPOs) haven't exactly been good investments, but SoFi is one of the notable exceptions. There are numerous reasons, but the short explanation is that the business has performed incredibly well.

About a year after the SPAC announcement, SoFi became a chartered bank and had less than 3.5 million members at the end of 2021. Now, it has more than triple that amount.

Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) went from $30 million in 2021 to an estimate of nearly $1 billion for 2025. SoFi recently celebrated its first full year of GAAP profitability, a term that sadly hasn't been associated with too many ex-SPACs.