UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 Form 13F FORM 13F COVER PAGE Report for the Quarter Ended: December 31, 2008 Check here if Amendment: [ ]; Amendment Number: ____ This Amendment (check only one): [ ] is a restatement. [ ] adds new holdings entries. Institutional Investment Manager Filing this Report: Name: Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited Address: 95 Wellington Street West Suite 800 Toronto, ON M5J 2N7 Form 13F File Number: 028-12554 The institutional investment manager filing this report and the person by whom it is signed hereby represent that the person signing the report is authorized to submit it, that all information contained herein is true, correct and complete, and that it is understood that all required items, statements, schedules, lists, and tables, are considered integral parts of this form. Person Signing this Report on Behalf of Reporting Manager: Name: Paul Rivett Title: Vice President and Chief Legal Officer Phone: 416-367-4941 Signature, Place, and Date of Signing: /s/ Paul Rivett Toronto, ON February 17, 2009 ------------------------------------- Report Type (Check one only): [x] 13F HOLDINGS REPORT. (Check here if all holdings of this reporting manager are reported in this report.) [ ] 13F NOTICE. (Check here if no holdings reported are in this report, and all holdings are reported by other reporting manager(s).) [ ] 13F COMBINATION REPORT. (Check here if a portion of the holdings for this reporting manager are reported in this report and a portion are reported by other reporting manager(s).) FORM 13F SUMMARY PAGE Report Summary: Number of Other Included Managers: 2 Form 13F Information Table Entry Total: 46 Form 13F Information Table Value Total: $5,174,979 (thousands) List of Other Included Managers: Provide a numbered list of the name(s) and Form 13F file number(s) of all institutional investment managers with respect to which this report is filed, other than the manager filing this report. No. Form 13F File Number Name --- -------------------- ---- 01 028-12555 Hamblin Watsa Investment Counsel Ltd. 02 028-12556 V. Prem Watsa FAIRFAX FINANCIAL HOLDINGS LIMITED FORM 13F INFORMATION TABLE December 31, 2008 COLUMN 1 COLUMN 2 COLUMN 3 COLUMN 4 COLUMN 5 COLUMN 6 COLUMN 7 COLUMN 8 -------- ----------------------- --------- --------- ------------------- ---------- -------- ----------------- VOTING AUTHORITY VALUE SHRS OR SH/ PUT/ INVESTMENT OTHER ----------------- NAME OF ISSUER TITLE OF CLASS CUSIP (X$1000) PRN AMT PRN CALL DISCRETION MANAGERS SOLE SHARED NONE -------------- ----------------------- --------- --------- ----------- --- ---- ---------- -------- ---- ------ ---- ABBOTT LABORATORIES COMMON 002824100 2,402 45,000 SH DEFINED 01,02 SOLE ALCOA INC COM 013817101 102,021 9,068,567 SH DEFINED 01,02 SOLE ASTRAZENECA PLC SPONSORED ADR 046353108 521 12,700 SH DEFINED 01,02 SOLE BALDWIN & LYONS INC CL B CL B 057755209 17,506 969,875 SH DEFINED 01,02 SOLE BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY INC. CL A 084670108 386 4 SH DEFINED 01,02 SOLE BRISTOL-MYERS SQB COM 110122108 232 10,000 SH DEFINED 01,02 SOLE BROWN & BROWN INC COM 115236101 251 12,000 SH DEFINED 01,02 SOLE BURLINGTON NORTHN SANTA FE CP COM 12189T104 98,713 1,304,000 SH DEFINED 01,02 SOLE CFS BANCORP INC. COM 12525D102 37 10,000 SH DEFINED 01,02 SOLE CRESUD S A C I F Y A SPONSORED ADR 226406106 17,475 1,952,500 SH DEFINED 01,02 SOLE DELL INC COM 24702R101 271,289 26,544,900 SH DEFINED 01,02 SOLE FIRST PLACE FINANCIAL/OHIO COM 33610T109 38 10,000 SH DEFINED 01,02 SOLE FRONTIER COMMUNICATIONS CORP COM 35906A108 162,739 18,620,000 SH DEFINED 01,02 SOLE GANNETT INC COM 364730101 65,074 8,144,400 SH DEFINED 01,02 SOLE GENERAL ELECTRIC CO COM 369604103 195,414 12,085,000 SH DEFINED 01,02 SOLE GLAXOSMITHKLINE PLC SPONSORED ADR 37733W905 701 18,800 SH DEFINED 01,02 SOLE IDT CORP COM 448947101 4 15,000 SH DEFINED 01,02 SOLE INTEL CORP COM 458140100 234,720 16,000,000 SH DEFINED 01,02 SOLE INTERNATIONAL COAL GRP INC NEW COM 45928H106 69,019 30,139,400 SH DEFINED 01,02 SOLE JOHNSON & JOHNSON COM 478160104 459,816 7,691,800 SH DEFINED 01,02 SOLE KING PHARMACEUTICALS INC COM 495582108 98,366 9,288,600 SH DEFINED 01,02 SOLE KRAFT FOODS INC CL A 50075N104 293,676 10,949,871 SH DEFINED 01,02 SOLE LEVEL 3 COMMUNICATIONS INC COM 52729N100 96,101 139,276,421 SH DEFINED 01,02 SOLE MAGNA INTL INC CL A 559222401 158,592 5,298,776 SH DEFINED 01,02 SOLE MOHAWK INDS INC COM 608190104 248 5,800 SH DEFINED 01,02 SOLE NAM TAI ELECTRS INC COM 629865205 138 25,000 SH DEFINED 01,02 SOLE NEW YORK COMMUNITY BANCORP INC COM 649445103 239 20,000 SH DEFINED 01,02 SOLE ODYSSEY RE HOLDINGS CORP COM 67612W108 2,195,441 42,399,400 SH DEFINED 01,02 SOLE OFFICE DEPOT INC COM 676220106 83 27,800 SH DEFINED 01,02 SOLE OLD REPUBLIC INTL CORPORATION COM 680223104 238 20,000 SH DEFINED 01,02 SOLE OVERSTOCK.COM INC COM 690370101 36,463 3,388,774 SH DEFINED 01,02 SOLE OVERSTOCK.COM INC NOTE 3.750% DEC 01 2009 690370AB7 19,727 36,873,000 PRN DEFINED 01,02 SOLE PFIZER INC COM 717081103 317,577 17,932,100 SH DEFINED 01,02 SOLE PIER 1 IMPORTS INC NOTE 6.375% 2/15/11 720279AH1 675 2,500,000 PRN DEFINED 01,02 SOLE PROGRESSIVE CORP OHIO COM 743315103 42,645 2,881,400 SH DEFINED 01,02 SOLE RYANAIR HLDGS PLC SPONSORED ADR 783513104 5,646 194,100 SH DEFINED 01,02 SOLE SANDRIDGE ENERGY INC COM 80007P307 5,378 881,600 SH DEFINED 01,02 SOLE SANOFI AVENTIS SPONSORED ADR 80105N905 366 11,400 SH DEFINED 01,02 SOLE STEWART ENTERPRISES INC CL A 860370105 12,248 4,082,546 SH DEFINED 01,02 SOLE US BANCORP DEL COM NEW 902973304 220 8,800 SH DEFINED 01,02 SOLE USG Corp COM NEW 903293405 56,892 7,111,500 SH DEFINED 01,02 SOLE VIACOM INC - CL. B CL B 92553P201 1,906 100,000 SH DEFINED 01,02 SOLE WAL-MART STORES INC COM 931142103 12,322 220,000 SH DEFINED 01,02 SOLE WELLS FARGO & CO. NEW COM 949746101 103,625 3,515,100 SH DEFINED 01,02 SOLE WESCO FINANCIAL CORP COM 950817106 314 1,100 SH DEFINED 01,02 SOLE ZENITH NATL INS CORP COM 989390109 17,497 555,800 SH DEFINED 01,02 SOLE