SUMMARY PROSPECTUS JULY3 1 , 2 0 1 2 Nicholas Fund, Inc. – NICSX Before you invest, you may want to review the Fund’s prospectus, which contains more information about the Fund and its risks. You can find the Fund’s prospectus and other information about the Fund online at www.nicholasfunds.com/prospectus.html. You can also get this information at no cost by calling 800-544-6547 or by sending an e-mail request to ShareholderServices@nicholasfunds.com. This Summary Prospectus incorporates by reference the Fund’s Prospectus, dated July 31, 2012 and Statement of Additional Information, dated July 31, 2012. Investment Objective The Fund strives to increase the value of your investment over the long-term (“long-term growth”). Fees and Expenses of the Fund The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. Shareholder Fees(fees paid directly from your investment)Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases

   

   NoneMaximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load)

   

   NoneMaximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends

   

   NoneWire Redemption Fee

   $

   15.00Exchange Fee

   

   NoneAnnual Fund Operating Expenses(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)Management Fees

   

   0.65

   %Distribution (12b-1) Fees

   

   NoneOther Expenses

   

   0.10

   %Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses(1)

   

   0.02

   %Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses(2)

   

   0.77

   %
  (1)

   “Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses” are those expenses incurred indirectly by the Fund as a result of acquiring investments in shares of one or more other investment companies.(2)

   Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses may not correlate to the “Ratio of expenses to average net assets” provided in the Financial Highlights. The information in the Financial Highlights reflects the operating expenses of the Fund and does not include Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses.


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Example:This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. One

   

   Three

   

   Five

   

   TenYear

   

   Years

   

   Years

   

   YearsThe Example assumes that you invest $10,000 inthe Fund for the time periods indicated and thenredeem all of your shares at the end of thoseperiods. The Example also assumes that yourinvestment has a 5% return each year and thatthe Fund’s operating expenses remain the same.Although your actual costs may be higher orlower, based on these assumptions, your costswould be:

   $

   79

   $

   246

   $

   428

   $

   954
  Portfolio Turnover The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 20.60% of the average value of the portfolio. Principal Investment Strategies To pursue the Fund’s investment objective of long-term growth, it primarily invests in common stocks of domestic small, medium- and large-sized companies believed to have growth potential. The Fund believes a company’s annual sales volume and market capitalization (the number of shares outstanding multiplied by the per share price) are the factors most illustrative of a company’s size. In distinguishing company size in terms of sales volume, the Fund considers a company’s sales volume relative to peer companies in the company’s industry. In terms of market capitalization, the Fund generally considers companies with market capitalizations up to $2 billion as “small,” between $2 billion and $10 billion as “medium” and greater than $10 billion as “large.” The Fund looks for established companies with the potential for superior growth in sales and earnings in a diversified group of industries. The Fund’s investment philosophy is basically a long-term growth philosophy, based upon the assumption that if a company achieves superior growth in sales and earnings, eventually the company’s stock will achieve superior performance. It is anticipated that a major portion of the Fund’s portfolio will be invested in common stocks of the types of companies, and in the manner, as described above. Principal Risks of Investing As with any mutual fund, the Fund cannot guarantee that it will achieve its goals or that its performance will be positive over any period of time. The Fund’s investments change in value. Consequently, the value of your Fund shares may change. If the value of the Fund shares or the values of the Fund’s investments go down, you may lose money. The principal risks of investing in the Fund are: Market Risk– Market risk involves the possibility that the value of the Fund’s investments will fluctuate as the stock market fluctuates over short- or longer-term periods. Common stock prices tend to be more volatile than other investment choices.Portfolio-Specific Risk– From time to time, the value of an individual company may decline due to a particular set of circumstances affecting that company, its industry or certain companies within the industry, while having little or no impact on other similar companies within the industry. Although the Fund will invest most of its assets in the securities of medium- and large- sized companies, the Fund may face additional risks due to its investments in small-sized 2


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companies. Securities of small- to medium-sized companies often fluctuate in price more than common stocks of larger companies.

Selection Risk– The Fund also faces selection risk, which is the risk that the stocks the Fund purchases will underperform markets or other mutual funds with similar investment objectives and strategies. Since there are risks inherent in all investments in securities, there is no assurance that the Fund’s objective will be achieved. Performance The bar chart shown below provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The chart shows the variability of the Fund’s total return for the last ten calendar years(1). Updated performance information for the Fund is available on our website at www.nicholasfunds.com.   (1)The Fund’s fiscal year end is March 31. The Fund’s calendar year-to-date return (six months) as of June 30, 2012 was 3.85%. For the ten calendar year periods shown in the above bar chart, the highest quarterly return was 21.93% (for the quarter ended June 30, 2009) and the lowest quarterly return was -21.15% (for the quarter ended December 31, 2008). This next table shows how the Fund’s average annual total returns for the one, five and ten year periods ending on December 31, 2011 (the Fund’s most recently completed calendar year), compared to the returns of a broad measure of market performance. The table also shows the Fund’s average annual total returns after taxes on distributions and after taxes on distributions and the redemption of all of your Fund shares. After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. One

   

   Five

   

   TenYear

   

   Year

   

   YearNicholas Fund, Inc.Return Before Taxes

   4.38

   %

   3.35

   %

   4.35

   %Return After Taxes on Distributions

   3.17

   %

   1.95

   %

   3.34

   %Return After Taxes on Distributionsand Sale of Fund Shares

   4.42

   %

   2.72

   %

   3.65

   %Standard & Poor’s 500 Index(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)

   2.11

   %

   -0.25

   %

   2.92

   %
  Of course, the Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is no guarantee of its future returns. 3


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Investment Adviser Nicholas Company, Inc. serves as the Fund’s investment adviser (the “Adviser”). Portfolio Managers Mr. Albert O. Nicholas is the Portfolio Manager of the Fund and is primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio. Mr. Albert Nicholas is President and a Director of the Fund and has served as Portfolio Manager of the Fund since 1969. Mr. David O. Nicholas is the Associate Portfolio Manager of the Fund. Mr. David Nicholas is a Senior Vice President of the Fund and has served as Associate Portfolio Manager of the Fund since April 2011. Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares The minimum initial investment for the Fund is $500. The minimum subsequent investment is $100 except for those shareholders participating in an automatic investment plan established with the Fund, the minimum is $50. The Fund’s shares are redeemable. Generally, shareholders may redeem some or all of their shares without charge by the Fund on any day when the New York Stock Exchange is open by written request, by telephone request by calling 800-544-6547, by accessing your account online at www.nicholasfunds.com or by wire transfer. Tax Information Shareholders may receive distributions from the Fund of ordinary income dividends and capital gains, which may be taxable to shareholders. Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank or financial adviser), the Fund and its related companies may pay that intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. Please bear in mind that these payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your intermediary or visit your intermediary’s website for more information. 4


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