Founder Profile
John C. Bogle
Last reviewed: October 2026 · By Swet Parvadiya
Who is John C. Bogle?
John C. Bogle is a founder of Vanguard, which was founded in 1975.
- Company founded
- Vanguard
- Founded
- 1975
Background
John C. Bogle (1929-2019) studied at Princeton, where his senior thesis examined the mutual fund industry. He then joined Wellington Management. After he was removed as its head in 1974, he founded Vanguard in 1975 as a fund-owned company, and in 1976 he launched the first index mutual fund for individual investors. He was CEO until 1996 and died on January 16, 2019.
Founding Story
John C. Bogle (1929-2019) studied at Princeton, where his senior thesis examined the mutual fund industry. He then joined Wellington Management. After he was removed as its head in 1974, he founded Vanguard in 1975 as a fund-owned company, and in 1976 he launched the first index mutual fund for individual investors. He was CEO until 1996 and died on January 16, 2019.
Education: University of Pennsylvania; Manasquan High School. John C. Bogle was born in 1929.