John Bogle

John Clifton Bogle (1929-2019) was an American investor, businessman, and philanthropist, best known as the founder and CEO of The Vanguard Group. Bogle revolutionized the investment industry by creating and championing low-cost index funds, making diversified investing accessible to the average investor.

Born in Montclair, New Jersey, Bogle graduated from Princeton University in 1951. His senior thesis on mutual funds laid the foundation for his later work. In 1975, he founded The Vanguard Group, pioneering the first index mutual fund available to the public. This innovative approach tracked a broad market index, such as the S&P 500, providing diversification at a fraction of the cost of actively managed funds.

Bogle’s investment philosophy centered on simplicity, long-term investing, and minimizing costs. He argued that most investors would be better off holding a diversified portfolio of stocks and bonds through low-cost index funds rather than trying to beat the market through active trading or expensive fund managers.

Bogle authored several influential books, including “Common Sense on Mutual Funds” and “The Little Book of Common Sense Investing,” which became classics in personal finance. His advocacy for investor rights and his commitment to low-cost investing earned him widespread respect and transformed the mutual fund industry. Bogle retired as CEO of Vanguard in 1996 but remained an influential figure in the investment world until his death in 2019.