John “Jack” Bogle passed away on January 16, 2019. To those who don’t know his name, he is the founder of Vanguard and the person most responsible, by far, for bringing the wisdom of index investing to us all. His death is no small loss to this world.
I’ve read many glowing and wonderful remembrances of Jack over the last couple days, and now I want to add my humble few words about what his life meant to me. I won’t say, as so many countless others have, that I owe my career to Jack. Quite the opposite, actually, since my career up to starting Frontier Advisors practiced the opposite of what Jack taught. But I do credit him with being the sage whose efforts gave credence to the truth I eventually realized after years of futile toil in the actively managed investment world. If it weren’t for the wisdom he offered, and the verdant garden of passive investing ecosystems that grew from his message over the years, Frontier Advisors and all the good we’ve done for our clients would not have been possible. That is undeniable and unequivocal.
So now that Jack Bogle’s energy and wisdom has returned to the universe, I feel it is absolutely my responsibility to continue his work, further spreading his message to anyone who will listen, and saving investors from our own industry that battles every day to rob investors of their own money under the guise of “beating the markets.” Rest in peace, Saint Jack, and know that the torch you lit will burn brighter and stronger if I have anything to say about it!