- CEO
- V. Prem Watsa
- Full Time Employees
- 47,040
- Sector
- Financial Services
- Industry
- Insurance - Property & Casualty
- Address
- 95 Wellington Street West Toronto ON Canada M5J 2N7
- IPO Date
- Aug 13, 2010
- Business
- Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited operates as a holding company primarily engaged in property and casualty insurance, reinsurance, and investment management through its subsidiaries. Its core products and services include underwriting property and casualty insurance covering workers' compensation, automobile, employer's liability, accident and health, medical malpractice, professional liability, umbrella coverage; marine, aerospace, surety risk, and other specialty risks; as well as reinsurance solutions. The company also operates in life insurance and run-off insurance segments and offers associated investment management services. Beyond insurance, Fairfax has diversified interests in franchising and operating restaurants, retailing sports lifestyle products, providing integrated travel and travel-related financial services, developing advanced digital tools for agriculture, operating holiday resorts, and originating, processing, and distributing value-added pulses and staple foods. The company’s operations span the United States, Canada, the Middle East, Asia, and internationally.
Founded in 1985 and headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Fairfax Financial has recently undertaken significant strategic actions. In 2025, it acquired all outstanding units of the Keg Royalties Income Fund, expanding its income fund portfolio. The company announced the sale of its 80% equity interest in Eurolife’s life insurance operations to Eurobank for approximately $940 million in cash, with an estimated pre-tax gain of $250 million expected in early 2026. Concurrently, Fairfax acquired a 45% equity stake in Eurobank’s Cyprus-based non-life insurance company ERB Asfalistiki, with an option for full acquisition. Additionally, Fairfax is part of a consortium that submitted a proposal to acquire all outstanding common shares of Kennedy Wilson Holdings, signaling expansion into the real estate investment sector. The company continues to repurchase its subordinate voting shares, reflecting capital return policies.
Fairfax operates through distinct segments: Property and Casualty Insurance and Reinsurance; Life Insurance and Run-off; and Non-Insurance Companies segments. Its broad geographic scope and diverse product base position the company as a global player in insurance and investment management. Through disciplined underwriting and total return asset management, Fairfax aims to achieve long-term shareholder value and above-average investment returns.