Revenue for the three months ended March 31 was almost US$6 billion, up from US$3.16 billion in the first quarter or 2020.
A big part of the difference was an US$842-million gain on investments, versus a US$1.5-billion loss a year earlier.
Fairfax was expected to earn US$10.55 per share on US$5.8 billion of revenues, according to financial data firm Refinitiv.
Fairfax Financial, together with the Fairfax India Charitable Trust and Fairfax India Holdings Corp., committed US$5 million to fund initiatives to help India with the recent surge in COVID-19 cases.
"We are saddened by the current crisis in India resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Fairfax wishes to assist India in traversing this incredibly difficult time and are hopeful that our commitment will provide some relief to India and its health-care system," stated chairman and CEO Prem Watsa.