# Buffett's Index Fund Strategy: How $10K Became $253K

Want to know the secret that beat 86.9% of professional fund managers? Back in 1993, Warren Buffett told regular investors a simple truth: just buy an S&P 500 index fund and hold.

If you'd dropped $10,000 into SPY or VOO on the day he published that letter (March 1994), you'd be sitting on over $253K today. That's a 25x return in roughly 30 years.

But here's the real flex—Buffett didn't recommend a one-time dump. He pushed for **consistent monthly investing**. Someone who added just $100/month to that same ETF would've stacked an extra $276K on top. Adjusted for inflation? Over $355K.

The math is brutal for active traders: 91% of large-cap fund managers underperformed the S&P 500 over 20 years after fees. Meanwhile, the index just... existed. Average annual return? 10.8%—right in line with 100-year historical trends.

The takeaway: You don't need to pick winners. You don't need to time the market. Time *in* the market beats timing *of* it every single time.