Most investors remember 2008 as the year of the stock market crash that sparked the Great Recession.

After reaching a peak in 2006, home prices began to slowly decline as the air drained from the housing market. Americans defaulting on subprime mortgages and Wall Street placing risky bets on mortgage-backed securities gave way to the worst crash that Americans had seen in decades. As the dust settled, the U.S. economy found itself in a recession.

Since then, most companies have recovered and risen to new heights, but one of the foremost winners has been Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN). In the years since 2008, AMZN stock gained more than 2,000%.

Why does this matter?

More than a decade later, investors are carefully watching for warning signs of another housing market crash. As InvestorPlace Assistant News Writer Shrey Dua reported, “evidence is mounting that the U.S. housing market may be deteriorating faster than it did in the 2008 recession.” This type of turbulence has created volatility throughout financial markets, just as it did in 2008. AMZN stock has fallen 28% so far in 2022, leaving some investors losing confidence in the tech giant.

However, going back to 2008 teaches us a key lesson. Keeping your money in the market through turbulence is the profitable move.

Let’s take a look at the returns that investors would have seen if they invested $1,000 in AMZN stock right before the 2008 crash.

AMZN Stock Since 2008

According to many experts, the stock market crash began on Sept. 29, 2008 after Congress rejected the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act, a bill designed to bail out Wall Street and stabilize the economy. AMZN stock closed out the day trading at $3.16 per share. When we consider that it was trading above $1,000 per share before its 2022 stock split, that low price point seems remarkable.

Just how much would a $1,000 investment in Amazon made on Sept. 29, 2008 be worth today? We did the math.

According to our calculations, AMZN stock has increased by 3,578.8% since that day. That means that a $1,000 investment would be worth $36,788 today. For anyone who invested that amount or more during the heyday of the 2008 market crash, that’s a sizable return on investment. 

What Comes Next

AMZN stock may be in store for even more gains in the next few months. Experts believe that Amazon is likely to rebound in the coming months. As InvestorPlace contributor Chris Lau reported:

Amazon has new investments and sales force growth across more regions. This increases its infrastructure efficiency. In addition, customers will sign extended contracts at favorable prices. Investors will benefit from more predictable revenue from the AWS unit.

It’s unclear if another housing market — and resulting stock market — crash is coming, but it’s clear that investing in Amazon during the last crash yielded impressive profits for patient investors.

For any investors betting on another crash, this is likely an opportune time to buy.