Just as a data point, I did buy a single share of Tesla at $420 for the memes back in covid days, and sold it recently for a manyfold profit, so there's that.
Overall though, due to inflation, I doubt we're better off.
You didn't share your actual source so I can't verify, but it sounds like it didn't take into account stock splits.
1 share at the start of covid at $420 became 15 shares, each currently worth a little less than $200 for a sum total of a little less than $3000 from that $420 purchase.