What a $10,000 Investment in the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) a Decade Ago Is Worth Today

You've probably run across recommendations to buy into the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSEMKT: VOO) plenty of times. Even Warren Buffett has recommended low-fee S&P 500 index funds, citing Vanguard's as a prime example. In his 2013 letter to shareholders, he wrote about his directions to his trustee for his eventual bequest to his wife:

Put 10% of the cash in short-term government bonds and 90% in a very low-cost S&P 500 index fund. (I suggest Vanguard's.) I believe the trust's long-term results from this policy will be superior to those attained by most investors -- whether pension funds, institutions or individuals -- who employ high-fee managers. Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »

Put 10% of the cash in short-term government bonds and 90% in a very low-cost S&P 500 index fund. (I suggest Vanguard's.) I believe the trust's long-term results from this policy will be superior to those attained by most investors -- whether pension funds, institutions or individuals -- who employ high-fee managers.

Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »

What would $10,000 grow to in a decade in the S&P 500?

How well can you do with a mere S&P 500 index fund? Let's take a look:

Source: Morningstar.com as of Sept. 3, 2026.

Not bad, right? If you plunked, say, $10,000 into this fund a decade ago, it would be worth $38,212 -- or $41,688, if you'd reinvested dividends along the way.

All this is kind of misleading, though, because you should not be expecting annual gains of 15% or 20% from the S&P 500 every year. The past 15 years have been unusually strong for the stock market. Know that the S&P 500 has averaged annual returns closer to 10% (ignoring inflation) over many decades.

Don't get discouraged about that 10%, though -- because, according to the folks at S&P Dow Jones Indices, over the past 15 years, the S&P 500 index has outperformed a whopping 90% of managed large-cap mutual funds (as of the end of 2025).

As you might have guessed, the fund encompasses about 500 stocks. Together, they make up about 80% of the total U.S. stock market's value. So investing in this fund is a lot like investing in the overall American economy. Here are the recent top 10 holdings:

Source: Vanguard.com, as of July 31, 2026.

Should you invest in the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF?

Long-term investors in this fund are likely to do well.