John “Mac” McQuown on Inventing the Index Fund | Modern Investing Podcast

In this debut episode, we sit down with legendary innovator John “Mac” McQuown, the man credited with creating the first index fund. Mac shares the story behind one of the most revolutionary ideas in modern finance — from his time leading Wells Fargo’s Management Sciences Group to co-founding Dimensional Fund Advisors.

We explore how index funds reshaped investing by outperforming the vast majority of active strategies, why diversification remains essential, and how emerging technologies like graphene could disrupt the future of energy storage.

“A simple-minded index fund outperformed about 95% of those portfolios.”

Whether you're a finance pro, index investor, or history buff, this episode delivers deep insight into the origins of passive investing and the future of financial innovation.

About John “Mac” McQuown:

A pioneer in quantitative finance, John “Mac” McQuown helped launch the first index fund at Wells Fargo in the 1970s. He later co-founded Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA), as well as KMV and Diversified Credit Investments. Beyond finance, he runs Stonehenge Farm Estate Vineyards, a fully off-grid, self-sustainable winery in Napa Valley. His work continues to shape how billions of dollars are invested around the world.

Click Here to Check Out Our Upcoming Online
Investing Events

About Sidepocket:

If you don't have the time to professionally trade and are tired of being at the whim of the market's ups and downs, consider using Sidepocket to automate investing.

Sidepocket monitors the markets 24/7 and automatically rebalances your holdings each month. To maximize returns while protecting against loss.

That's why Sidepocket applies sophisticated quantitative methods, including tactical asset allocation to systematically minimize these drawdowns and consistently protect and grow your hard earned savings.

To learn more, visit www.sidepocket.com