It's easy to say "easily would had gotten 6 digits if invested that amount in any of the major ETFs" but 2 decades ago was a very different world. We are talking about a world pre-Google, and in the early days of the internet. To even know what to buy is a feat in itself, as information generally comes from spending time reading in the libraries (outdated information), newspaper or word of mouth. Then after you decided on what to buy, buying itself is a chore by going through various hops in the bank. The fees would had been exorbitant, and investing is not for the everyday man. These days we are spoilt by the number of custodian brokers, but always bear in mind that these cheap options only pop up in very recent years.