ARK Invest offers 5 actively traded ETF's: ARKK, ARKQ, ARKW, ARKG, ARKF. Every single one of them has outperformed the S&P 500 Index ($SPX) over any comparison period I tested (5 years, 4 years, 3 years, 1 year, 9 months, 6 months, and 3 months), most of them by a HUGE margin. This comparison includes all fund fees. Anyone who knows anything about actively managed funds knows this is exceptional performance, the aggregate performance of all their actively managed ETF's almost unheard of. There's a reason their returns are the best in the business - they do real research and constantly adjust their positions to maintain this index-beating performance.
That's not turning "logic on its head". A lot of smart and very pragmatic people believe exactly the same thing. In fact, before I even knew who Cathie Wood was, I believed the same thing (and I still do). The theory you mention is supported (in part) by data going back to the roaring '20's and through the great depression. And, yes, there are major differences between those periods and the present which is why Cathie doesn't believe it will be exactly the same.
The very industries ARK specializes in (disruptive technologies) are the very industries that are leading this multi-decadal technology-driven bull run. I think it likely has 30-50 years left with only temporary setbacks along the way. Coronavirus is a temporary setback. Whether it is called a bear market or a steep correction is not nearly as important than whether the overall long-term trend stays intact. To me, this means that a broad basket of "new era" companies are substantially higher in two years even if broad indexes are within 3% of being flat. The world is changing and while actively managed indexes like the S&P 500 try to keep up with those changes, the world is changing faster than they are structured to adapt. This is how ARK Invest manages to beat those actively managed indexes (by being more nimble while remaining pragmatic).
Cathie Wood is actually not very skilled of a salesperson if you know anything about sales. The primary reason she is wildly successful (and has been since before Tesla started performing last year) is that her funds results speak for themselves. And while she has deep experience in the stock market, and she develops the investment strategies her company uses, she will be the first to tell you how much she owes to the technological expertise of the research team she manages.
My brokerage account consists of only stocks, leaps, cash and only 3% is in ARK ETF's (but I should probably have more).
To question the value Cathie Wood brings to the industry is to turn logic on it's head and ignore her results since founding ARK Invest over 5 years ago. Her funds performance through the Coronavirus turbulence (so far) really highlight just how effective her management is whether the market is rising or falling.
