Fairfax Financial

Fairfax Financial

Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited is a financial holding company based in Toronto, Ontario, which is engaged in property, casualty, and life insurance and reinsurance, investment management, and insurance claims management. The company operates primarily through several subsidiaries, including Odyssey Re, Northbridge Financial, Crum & Forster and Zenith Insurance Company.

As of December 31, 2010, Fairfax had total assets of approximately $31.7 billion, and its revenue for the prior twelve months was approximately $6.2 billion. Over the last 25 years (that is, since present management took over - until fiscal year Dec. 31, 2010), the company book value per share has compounded by 25% per year, while the common stock price has followed the growth at 21% per year.

Fairfax Financial has worldwide over 8,200 employees (5,000 of them work throughout the United States). There are just 30 employees at head office in Toronto.