In 2020, Kiersten Crum started with $500 in Carnival stock; how she added $10,000 and built an $80,000 portfolio during Covid-19 pandemic

Kiersten Crum was studying business administration at the University of Kansas when the Covid-19 pandemic changed her plans in 2020. After returning home during the spring break period, she watched her family's finances come under pressure as her father's bar business shut down. She left college to help support her family and began investing in stocks.

Crum started with $500 in Carnival Cruise Line stock, buying shares after the company's price fell sharply during the pandemic. In a little over a year, her portfolio grew $80,000. She later became known as the "Stonk Queen" for sharing her investing journey.

All about her journey and portfolio

Crum put more of her earnings into stocks while working at a grocery store and a restraint. Outside work, she turned to YouTube videos and audiobooks to learn more about investing.

By the end of 2020, she had expanded beyond Carnival to include GameStop and AMC Entertainment. Both companies later became prominent during the meme-stock boom, when individual investors discussed stocks on social media and online forums.

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Crum said the WallStreetBets community on Reddit influenced her interest in these stocks. GameStop and AMC attracted widespread attention in early 2021 as trading activity drove sharp price movements.

Her portfolio eventually reached $80,000. CNBC Select reported that she had contributed about $10,000 of her own money to the account, much of it earned through her grocery store and waitressing jobs.

Crum's reported portfolio growth made her story part of that broader interest in pandemic-era investing.

Crum's experience shows how an investment made during a market downturn can grow in value, but it should not be treated as a blueprint for other investors.

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What advice did she give young investors?

Crum had simple and amazing advice. She wanted young investors to start small instead of waiting until they had a large amount of money.

She also reminded how crucial compound interest is and also the importance of putting aside some money from each paycheck.