The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) became the first exchange-traded fund ever to reach $1 trillion in assets, hitting the milestone on June 2, 2026, as the world’s largest ETF continues to attract investor capital seeking low-cost broad market exposure.
Quick Facts
- VOO reached $1 trillion in assets on June 2, 2026, making it the first ETF to achieve the milestone
- The fund has attracted $69 billion in net inflows since the start of 2026, more than any other ETF
- VOO charges a management fee of 0.03%, compared to 0.09% for the State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)
- VOO overtook SPY as the largest ETF less than 18 months before reaching the $1 trillion mark
The achievement underscores the decades-long shift toward passive index investing and Vanguard’s role in making low-cost funds accessible to retail investors. VOO’s success reflects investor preference for ultra-low fees and broad market exposure.
Just five years ago, VOO was the smallest of the three largest S&P 500 ETFs, with about $225 billion in assets. State Street’s SPY was the giant at the time with around $360 billion. Strong inflows catapulted VOO from third to first place, while its rivals have grown more slowly. BlackRock’s iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV) now holds $860 billion in assets, and SPY has $785 billion.
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Between June 2021 and May 2026, VOO took in more than $400 billion in new money, compared to an estimated $250 billion for IVV and $88 billion for SPY, according to Morningstar data. The fund’s parent mutual fund, Vanguard 500 Index, is set to turn 50 and remains the first and oldest index-tracking mutual fund available to retail investors, having launched on August 31, 1976.
Sources
- Morningstar — Confirmed June 2, 2026 milestone date, provided historical asset comparisons and inflow data for all three major S&P 500 ETFs
- Reuters — Reported first ETF to reach $1 trillion, fee comparison, and timeline of VOO’s rise to largest ETF status
- InvestmentNews — Reported $69 billion in net inflows for VOO since start of 2026
- Gotrade — Confirmed $66 billion in inflows through first five months of 2026 and VOO’s top position for ETF inflows this year
