- 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
- May 26, 2010
- Business
- Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited is a holding company primarily engaged in property and casualty insurance and reinsurance, as well as associated investment management, through its subsidiaries. The company offers a broad range of insurance products including specialty commercial lines, treaty and facultative reinsurance, personal and commercial property and casualty coverage; key subsidiaries encompass Northbridge Financial, Crum & Forster, Odyssey Group, Brit Insurance, Allied World, Gulf Insurance Group, and operations in Latin America such as Fairfax Brasil and Meridional Seguros, alongside Asian entities like Thai Re and Pacific Insurance. Investment management is centrally provided by Hamblin Watsa Investment Counsel Ltd, focusing on value-oriented total return strategies across bonds, equities, and associates to support underwriting profitability and long-term book value growth targeting 15% annually.
Founded in 1985 and headquartered in Toronto, Canada, Fairfax operates geographically across North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia, serving diverse commercial, personal, and reinsurance markets with decentralized management of brands. Recent major developments include the October 2024 acquisition of Sleep Country Canada Holdings Inc for C$1.2 billion, expanding its non-insurance segment; the August 2025 purchase of remaining units in The Keg Royalties Income Fund; an agreement for a 33% stake in French specialty insurer Albingia SA expected to close in Q2 2025; and a proposed sale of its 80% interest in Eurolife's life insurance to Eurobank for €813 million paired with acquiring 45% of ERB Asfalistiki, both slated for Q1 2026 closure.