<p>TORONTO (Reuters) - Months before Fairfax Financial Holdings Inc bid $4.7 billion for BlackBerry Ltd, Fairfax boss Prem Watsa played a role in securing a golden parachute worth as much as $55 million for the smartphone maker's chief executive, according to company filings.</p><p>Watsa, Fairfax's chief executive, joined BlackBerry's board in January 2012 and was one of three directors charged in March with reviewing the compensation of the Canadian company's chief executive, Thorsten Heins.</p><p>The three directors - Watsa, BlackBerry Chairwoman Barbara Stymiest and long-time board member John Wetmore - decided to boost Heins' basic salary and incentive bonus, as well as sharply increase the size of the equity awards that he would receive if he loses his job in the event of a takeover.</p><p>The new contract that Heins signed in May tripled his compensation to an estimated $55.6 million if there is a change of control at BlackBerry, up from $18.9 million previously, according to a securities filing on May 21.</p><p><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/26/us-blackberry-offer-compensation-idUSBRE98P1EA20130926">Keep reading...</a></p><p>Read also:</p><p><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/blackberry-nixes-earnings-call-in-light-of-sale-t-mobile-stops-selling-the-handsets-in-stores/2013/09/26/5e3c1fec-26a3-11e3-b75d-5b7f66349852_story.html">BlackBerry nixes earnings call in light of sale; T-Mobile stops selling the ...</a> (Washington Post)</p><p><a href="http://theweek.com/article/index/250236/is-blackberry-finally-dead">Is BlackBerry finally dead?</a> (The Week Magazine)</p><p><a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/top-business-stories/fairfaxs-prem-watsa-fires-back-at-skeptics-as-doubts-over-blackberry-deal-mount/article14540650/">BlackBerry shares slip below $ 8 even as Fairfax&#039;s Prem Watsa fires back at ...</a> (The Globe and Mail)</p><p>Explore: <a href="http://news.google.com/news/more?ncl=dooN8zPzB3en_5MtHiS2Z7rwRZ53M&ned=us">293 additional articles.</a></p>