V. Prem Watsa

Prem Watsa founded Toronto-based financial services firm Fairfax Financial Holdings in 1985 and remains its chairman and CEO.Born in Hyderabad, India, Watsa later joined his brother in Canada, and then enrolled in the University of Western Ontario's MBA program.He paid his way through school by selling appliances door-to-door and, after a stint as an investment analyst, struck out on his own in 1984.He began acquiring insurance companies, modeling his business after the success of his idol, Warren Buffett.Fairfax now has property and casualty insurance and reinsurance interests across the world plus stakes in companies that include BlackBerry and GE.