If we look back to 1990, the total return of the S&P 500 has outperformed gold by nearly a 4:1 growth ratio.

However, if we set our time anchor to 2000, at that time the US stock market was peaking during the internet bubble, while gold was hitting a historical bottom, leading to a significant outperformance by gold in the subsequent moves.

Choosing different starting points can lead to a complete 180-degree reversal in the narrative.