Prem Watsa is the founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited, a financial services holding company engaged in property and casualty insurance and reinsurance and investment management. Often referred to as “Canada’s Warren Buffett” due to his long-term, value-oriented investment approach, Watsa has led Fairfax since its inception in 1985. Born in Hyderabad, India, in 1950, Watsa emigrated to Canada in 1972 after earning a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras. He subsequently earned an MBA from the Ivey Business School at the University of Western Ontario.

Watsa began his career in the financial industry at the Confederation Life Insurance Company. Before founding Fairfax, he worked at GWIL Securities, where he became Vice-President of Research. In 1985, he acquired a struggling trucking and insurance company, Markel Financial, and transformed it into Fairfax Financial Holdings, building it into a multi-billion-dollar empire primarily through a decentralized structure and a focus on long-term value investing.

Under Watsa’s leadership, Fairfax has become known for its conservative investment philosophy, emphasizing capital preservation and contrarian bets, particularly during periods of market downturns. The company holds significant positions in various public and private companies globally. Watsa is also recognized for his philanthropic efforts. He serves on the board of trustees of the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto and is the Chancellor of the University of Waterloo. Indiaspora is proud to have Prem Watsa  on our Business Leaders 2.0 List.