V. Prem Watsa is a Canadian businessman, the self-made billionaire Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. (TSX: FFH), a major global insurance, reinsurance, and investment conglomerate. His career is rooted in elite finance, engineering, and contrarian investment.

Watsa holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras and an MBA from the University of Western Ontario (Ivey Business School). His philosophical approach centers on contrarian value investing (often compared to Warren Buffett), financial prudence, and long-term asset hold in the essential insurance and financial services sector.

• Fairfax Financial Holdings (Founder & CEO): The core publicly traded asset, a major global provider of property, casualty, and life insurance/reinsurance, known for its contrarian investment portfolio.
• Financial Pioneer: His success is built on scale financial innovation and pioneering the integrated insurance and investment model (leveraging float for long-term investing).
• Academic Background: He holds an MBA from Ivey Business School and a B.S. from IIT Madras.
• Investment Strategy: His philosophy is rooted in long-term value investment in industrial and financial assets, often taking significant contrarian positions.

V. Prem Watsa's strategic genius was his commitment to value investing. He founded Fairfax Financial in 1985 (evolving from a prior company). His structural contribution is immense: pioneering the modern insurance-investment model in Canada, generating superior, long-term returns by leveraging the insurance float for deep-value investment in distressed assets and equities. He famously hedged against the 2008 financial crisis.

He remains Founder, Chairman, and CEO, guiding the company's continuous expansion and technological modernization. His wealth is secured by the colossal, long-term, stable profitability of the global insurance and financial services sector.

Prem Watsa's social impact stems from Fairfax Financial's role in providing essential insurance and reinsurance services globally, contributing to economic stability. His personal philanthropy, through the Fairfax Foundation, supports various educational and community initiatives, often focused on education and healthcare in India and Canada.

His personal philanthropy supports various community and educational initiatives.

V. Prem Watsa maintains the professional, composed style of a corporate executive. His attire is consistently formal and high-quality, favoring tailored suits. His aesthetic reflects serious authority and stability, typical of a leader in the global financial sector.

Residing in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, his luxury is the immense security and financial reward derived from his multi-billion dollar fortune. His life is dedicated to investment strategy, financial governance, and asset management.