The Vanguard logo, representing an American investment company, is a wordmark featuring the brand name. The lettering is set in a heavy serif typeface with contrasting stroke widths and smooth letterforms. The primary version appears in dark red, while a white version is used on dark backgrounds. Until 2020, an image of the sailing ship HMS Vanguard appeared next to the name. John Bogle named the company after this vessel. This British ship served as Admiral Horatio Nelson’s flagship at the Battle of the Nile in 1798. In 2020, the ship image was removed from the brand mark, leaving only the distinctive wordmark that remains in use today.
The Vanguard Group, Inc. is an American investment management company that began operations in 1975 under the leadership of John C. Bogle. Vanguard has an ownership structure unusual for the industry: the company is owned by its funds, and the funds are owned by the investors who hold shares in them. In 1976, Vanguard launched the First Index Investment Trust, later renamed the Vanguard 500 Index Fund, one of the first index funds available to individual investors. Today, the company offers mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, brokerage services, investment advice and retirement solutions. As of 2026, Vanguard offers 487 funds worldwide and serves more than 50 million investors. Its headquarters are in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.
