Nasdaq 100 fell -83.0% at its worst — here is every crash since 1999
Peak, bottom, and how long it took to get back to break-even, plus what $10,000 would have been worth at each bottom.
Data as of September 10, 2026
Worst fall on record
-83.0%
March 27, 2000 to October 9, 2002, falling for 2 years 6 months
The 10 deepest falls of 10% or more since March 10, 1999.
- Time to recover
- 14 years 11 months
- On your amount
- $1,704
- Right now
- -3.9%
Back at that peak on February 20, 2015
What $10,000 was worth at the bottom
As of September 9, 2026
In an ordinary year it moves about ±26.9% around its own trend.
| Peak | Bottom | Fall | Peak to bottom | Peak to recovery | Your amount at the bottom |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PeakMarch 27, 2000 | BottomOctober 9, 2002 | Fall-83.0% | Peak to bottom2 years 6 months | Peak to recovery14 years 11 months | Your amount at the bottom$1,704 |
| PeakDecember 27, 2021 | BottomNovember 3, 2022 | Fall-35.1% | Peak to bottom10 months | Peak to recovery2 years | Your amount at the bottom$6,488 |
| PeakFebruary 19, 2020 | BottomMarch 16, 2020 | Fall-28.6% | Peak to bottomunder a month | Peak to recovery3 months | Your amount at the bottom$7,144 |
| PeakAugust 29, 2018 | BottomDecember 24, 2018 | Fall-22.8% | Peak to bottom4 months | Peak to recovery7 months | Your amount at the bottom$7,720 |
| PeakFebruary 19, 2025 | BottomApril 8, 2025 | Fall-22.8% | Peak to bottom2 months | Peak to recovery4 months | Your amount at the bottom$7,723 |
| PeakDecember 1, 2015 | BottomFebruary 9, 2016 | Fall-16.1% | Peak to bottom2 months | Peak to recovery8 months | Your amount at the bottom$8,390 |
| PeakJanuary 3, 2000 | BottomJanuary 6, 2000 | Fall-15.5% | Peak to bottomunder a month | Peak to recoveryunder a month | Your amount at the bottom$8,453 |
| PeakJuly 20, 2015 | BottomAugust 25, 2015 | Fall-13.9% | Peak to bottom1 month | Peak to recovery3 months | Your amount at the bottom$8,606 |
| PeakJuly 10, 2024 | BottomAugust 7, 2024 | Fall-13.6% | Peak to bottomunder a month | Peak to recovery4 months | Your amount at the bottom$8,644 |
| PeakSeptember 2, 2020 | BottomSeptember 23, 2020 | Fall-12.7% | Peak to bottomunder a month | Peak to recovery3 months | Your amount at the bottom$8,725 |
Depth is measured from the previous all-time high, and “peak to recovery” runs from that high back to it — not from the bottom, which gives a much shorter number.
What Nasdaq 100's own history says
The worst fall was -83.0%, from March 27, 2000 to October 9, 2002 — $10,000 invested at that peak was worth $1,704 at the bottom. It took 14 years 11 months from that peak to close back at it, on February 20, 2015. Today it sits 3.9% below its all-time high.
Computed from daily closing prices with dividends reinvested, snapshotted September 10, 2026.
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Crash histories for other assets
- S&P 500 drawdown history
- Total world (VT) drawdown history
- Total US market (VTI) drawdown history
- Bitcoin drawdown history
- Ethereum drawdown history
- Gold (GLD) drawdown history
- Long Treasuries (TLT) drawdown history
- ARK Innovation (ARKK) drawdown history
- Tesla drawdown history
- Nvidia drawdown history
- Apple drawdown history
- SCHD drawdown history
- VWCE drawdown history
History is not a forecast
This page shows what actually happened to a real price series — nothing more. An asset that recovered every time so far carries no promise that it will again, and the next fall will not be the last one. Prices exclude trading costs, spreads, currency conversion and taxes, all of which make a real-world fall worse than the one drawn here. Nothing on this page is investment advice; do your own research or speak to a regulated adviser before investing.
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