Famous Fund Managers

Some fund managers changed how everyone invests. Here are John Bogle, who brought index funds to individuals; Jim Simons, the quant with the best record ever reported; Ray Dalio; and a modern cautionary tale.

John Bogle and the index fund

John Bogle founded Vanguard in 1975 and launched the first index mutual fund for individual investors in 1976. Critics called it “Bogle’s folly,” arguing investors would never settle for average. Bogle argued that after costs, most active managers trail the index, and low-cost index funds became one of the most popular investments in the world.

Bogle’s core insight: costs compound against investors.

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