Peter Thiel, a PayPal co-founder, invested approximately $2,000 worth of PayPal shares in a Roth IRA during the late 1990’s. Today, those shares are worth an estimated $5 billion, and Thiel won’t owe taxes on any of the gain if he waits until the age of 59 ½ to withdraw money from that account. Although it’s unlikely that Thiel’s success can be replicated by an ordinary investor, his story demonstrates that Roth IRAs are a great place to hold those investments carrying a high-risk, high-return label.