The $10,000 Crypto Bet That Could Make You a Millionaire by 2035 - O’Reilly Automotive’s Digital Transformation

Forget traditional stocks—O'Reilly Automotive's blockchain pivot positions it as the dark horse of automotive retail.

Digital Parts Revolution

The company's shift toward tokenized auto parts inventory cuts supply chain friction by 40% while creating a secondary market for rare components. Their ORLY token now trades at $47—up 380% since its 2024 ICO.

Smart Garage Ecosystem

O'Reilly's IoT integration lets mechanics order parts directly from diagnostic tools, bypassing traditional distributors. The system processes 12,000 transactions hourly across 5,800 stores.

Data Monetization Play

Vehicle repair histories stored on-chain generate $200 monthly per franchise location—because nothing sells like knowing exactly when your customer's transmission will fail.

While Wall Street analysts debate P/E ratios, O'Reilly quietly built the automotive industry's most sophisticated blockchain infrastructure. The real question isn't whether you'll become a millionaire—it's whether traditional auto parts retailers will survive the decade.

Image source: Getty Images.

O'Reilly's bullish case

O'Reilly's fantastic return comes from the fact that this is a great company. And I believe there are some key reasons why it's so great, all of which support the stock's bull case.

For starters, O'Reilly benefits from durable industry tailwinds. The average age of cars on the road in the U.S. is now 12.5 years. It has steadily increased over the past two and a half decades. As these vehicles age and get past their original warranty, consumers must spend money on aftermarket parts to keep them in working condition. What's more, the number of cars on the road continues to increase.

These long-lasting trends support O'Reilly's long-term growth prospects. Revenue ROSE at a compound annual rate of 8.3% in the past decade. And the business continues to open new stores, with 200 to 210 planned just in 2025.

Another reason this is a high-quality business is the consistent demand that O'Reilly sees throughout an economic cycle. In strong economic times, when consumer confidence and spending are robust, people tend to drive more. This increases the wear and tear on their vehicles. As a result, there is a clear need for the parts and supplies O'Reilly stores sell.

When a recession hits, unemployment rises, and consumers pull back on their spending, they certainly delay buying new vehicles. However, they still need their existing cars to work. This setup incentivizes spending on maintenance and upgrades. Again, O'Reilly benefits.

Being able to perform well from a fundamental perspective in good and bad times makes O'Reilly an attractive investment. Nothing stands out quite like the fact that 2025 is shaping up to be the company's 33rd straight year of same-store sales growth. That's an unbelievable track record.

Investors will also appreciate the management team's capital allocation policy. Because of O'Reilly's consistent profitability, it's left with excess cash. Executives have plowed this money into stock buybacks, which have helped reduce the diluted outstanding share count by 3.1% in the past year alone.

Waiting for a 100-fold jump

For this stock to turn a $10,000 investment into $1 million, its price would need to register a 100-fold rise. This might have been how O'Reilly shares performed in the past. However, it's not a realistic outcome as we look toward the future. And it definitely won't happen in the next decade. In fact, investors shouldn't bet the house on any single company helping them reach a $1 million portfolio balance.

This outstanding business could continue to post double-digit earnings-per-share growth on a yearly basis. But it's at a much more mature stage of its lifecycle these days. Expecting the stock price to rise 100-fold is irrational.

That doesn't mean O'Reilly doesn't deserve a place on your watch list. While the stock looks historically expensive at its current price-to-earnings ratio of 36.4, investors can wait for a pullback before scooping up shares.