Doug Coyle’s son told him to sell the shares. 

The 68-year-old retired landscaper first started investing in Tesla Inc. in 2012 after hearing about Elon Musk, who wasn’t nearly as famous at the time. Over the next decade he put about $100,000 into the stock, and his investment value ballooned to about $3 million at the peak in November 2021.

Then came the plunge, as the pandemic-era tech bubble began to unwind. Coyle’s son, who got into trading during the 2020 retail frenzy, implored him to sell. But he held on, believing in Tesla’s long term potential. He’s now lost about $1.5 million in paper gains.