One of the most acclaimed mutual fund investors and portfolio managers of the past 40 years. John Neff is often considered a contrarian investor who is not largely concerned with rigorous security analysis and implemented such strategies as emphasizing a low P/E ratio investments. He resembles other investors such as Warren Buffett in that he looks strongly to ROE (return on equity) as a prime quality indicator.

John managed Vanguard's Windsor fund from 1961 to 1995. In that time, the fund averaged 13.7% per year, compared to 10.6% for the Standard and Poor's 500 Index. He also published a highly acclaimed book on investment strategies in 2001, "John Neff on Investing".