Who Is John Templeton?

By Robin Hartill, CFP – Updated Oct 7, 2025 at 6:11 PM | Fact-checked by Frank Bass

Key Points

John Templeton's investment strategy was to buy at points of extreme pessimism.
He created the Templeton Growth Fund, which earned average annualized returns of above 14%.
Templeton was a noted philanthropist who was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.

John Templeton was the founder of the Templeton Growth Fund. He gained international acclaim for his philosophy of investing at "points of maximum pessimism" and is remembered as one of the most famed value investors in history.

In this article, we'll delve into Templeton's investment philosophy, career highlights, and legacy. You'll also learn how you can use the legendary investor's approach to boost your odds of success.

Loading paragraph...

An infographic defining and explaining the concept of value investing. — Image source: The Motley Fool.

Loading image...

Loading paragraph...

The time of maximum pessimism is the best time to buy, and the time of maximum optimism is the best time to sell.
Sir John Templeton

The investments in Templeton's initial portfolio grew by around 400%, with an average holding period of four years. Templeton, a proponent of buy-and-hold investing, would later say that he wished he'd held on to those stocks longer.

In 1954, Templeton established the Templeton Growth Fund, the first in the Templeton family of mutual funds. At a time when most U.S. investors stuck to domestic stocks, the fund was rare in that it invested in global equities. The fund earned average annual returns of more than 14% in the decades that followed.

Loading paragraph...

About the Author

Robin Hartill, CFP, is a contributing writer at The Motley Fool. Robin’s work has also been published by Yahoo Finance, USA Today, and Penny Hoarder. She is a graduate of the University of Florida.

TMFRobinHartill

The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.