Future Boxing Hall of Famer Anthony Joshua has amassed a net worth of $80 million. This is no surprise as the skilled boxer has achieved an illustrious career decorated with several accolades, including the WBA (Super), WBO, IBF, and IBO titles. As a result, he is a two-time unified world heavyweight champion. This, of course, has attracted him many lucrative endorsement deals from renowned brands across the globe.
Joshua (aka AJ) has not only built his net worth from purse payouts and sponsorship deals but has constantly boosted his earnings with pay-per-view revenues, broadcasting deals, and multiple side ventures. Despite becoming a superstar in the world of sport, the 34 years old still often reminiscences about his humble beginnings which prompts him to provide financial assistance to the less privileged through different charitable organizations.
How Much is Anthony Joshua Worth?
Although estimates for Anthony Joshua’s net worth vary in media, the boxing star is estimated to have made $80 million from his successful efforts inside and outside the boxing arena. Beginning his career in the amateur boxing circuit, AJ got launched to the international scene after recording a resounding victory over the likes of Zhang Zhilei and Roberto Cammarelle at the 2012 London Olympics. His professional career took off soon after and he has gone on to dominate heavyweight boxing with his breathtaking boxing record. Thus, AJ has been able to negotiate hefty paychecks for his fights over the year.
On many occasions, the pro boxer has pocketed purse payouts that run in eight-figures. No wonder, he is said to have earned around $120 million thus far in his flourishing career. AJ made $39 million between 2017 and 2018 from purses and sponsorship deals, emerging as the 25th world’s highest-paid athlete on the 2018 Forbes list. He also made Forbes Celebrity 100 Earnings list in 2019, ranking 13th as his earnings between 2018 and 2019 was estimated at $55 million.
In 2020, the Olympic gold medalist emerged as the 19th highest-paid athlete in the world with earnings of $47 million. Between 2019 and 2020, Anthony Joshua jacked up his net worth with $11 million earned from endorsements and $36 million from salary.
How The World Heavyweight Champion Has Built His Net Worth Over The Years
Throughout his career, Anthony Joshua has gained a reputation for fighting in high-profile matches that have attained expensive stakes, as well as record-breaking views. He has emerged as one of the biggest earners in the world of sport as a result of his numerous income sources and they include;
Remunerative Purse Payouts
On several occasions, over the course of his superb pro career, Joshua has had huge paydays thanks to the outstanding negotiating skills exhibited by his promoter, Eddie Hearn. He has emerged as the face of boxing alongside Canelo Alvarez having defeated a handful of high-ranking boxers since turning pro in July 2013 when he signed with Matchroom Sport.
AJ’s first match was in October 2013 at the O2 Arena in London against Emanuele Leo whom he defeated with a technical knockout in the first round. Subsequently, Joshua became victorious in his second fight against British heavyweight, Paul Butlin. Following a long-standing winning streak during which the elite boxer defeated most of his opponents via knockout, he began facing high-profile boxers from 2015. In September 2015, he contested for the vacant Commonwealth heavyweight title in a fight against IBO Intercontinental champion, Gary Cornish. He won the match in the first round and went on to face the undefeated Dillian Whyte for the vacant British heavyweight title while also defending his Commonwealth heavyweight title for the first time. The fight held in December 2015 and Joshua gave Whyte the first defeat of his career. He reportedly pocketed £3 million after it.
Anthony Joshua went ahead to boost his net worth with a purse payout of £5 million he took home for defeating IBF heavyweight champion Charles Martin at the O2 Arena in April 2016 and taking the title. Two months later, he received £4.5 million for successfully defending his IBF heavyweight title against the then-unbeaten Dominic Breazeale. Breazeale suffered his first career defeat at the hands of AJ as he was knocked out in the seventh round. Furthermore, Joshua faced Eric Molina, a former world title challenger in the same 2016. He defeated Molina with a knockout in the third round and earned £5 million for the fight.
AJ became a unified heavyweight champion in April 2017 when he contested for the vacant WBA (Super) title against Wladimir Klitschko and defeated him in the 11th round. He reportedly earned £15 million for the fight. Again, AJ defended his heavyweight titles against Carlos Takam on October 28th, 2017. He won the fight in the 10th round and received a paycheck of £10 million. The Brit later added £18 million to his net worth in March 2018 when he faced Joseph Parker and emerged victoriously via a twelve-round unanimous decision.
For fighting Alexander Povetkin on September 22nd, 2018 at the Wembley Stadium in London, the accomplished athlete earned £20 million. He additionally earned another eight-figure salary (£10 million) for his fight against Kubrat Pulev in December 2020 which he won via a ninth-round knockout, thus, retaining his unified heavyweight titles.
The Famed Sportsman Has Only Lost One Fight
Throughout his palmy career, Anthony Joshua has had 25 total fights. He won 24 of them and has only lost once. The fight he lost is considered one of the biggest upsets in boxing history. In June 2019, AJ was defeated by Andy Ruiz Jr. during his US debut at the Madison Square Garden, New York. He earned $25 million for the fight while Ruiz made a career-high purse of $7 million. Following the defeat, Joshua lost his three heavyweight titles but went on to reclaim them in a rematch held on December 7th, 2019.
For the rematch which took place at the Diriyah Arena in Saudi Arabia, he received a purse of $60 million as Saudi Arabian authorities paid a hosting fee of $40 million.
How Much is AJ Going To Make From His Undisputed Fight With Tyson Fury?
Anthony Joshua will be facing two-time world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury in what is considered to be one of the biggest fights in British boxing history on August 14th, 2021. The venue for the blockbuster match has been fixed and Saudi Arabia was selected after the country paid a hosting fee that is reportedly over $150 million. Hence, Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury are expected to step up their net worths with earnings from the undisputed heavyweight championship. They will be making around $75 million each from the hosting fee plus an extra $3 million – $5 million mapped out for expenses.
The boxing superstars will also augment their total wealth with pay-per-view buys and worldwide broadcast deals. As a result, they are expected to pocket up to £100 million each from the fight. The two fighters are hoping to become the undisputed champion as Anthony Joshua holds three of the heavyweight titles – WBO, WBA, and IBF which were stripped off from Tyson Fury in late 2015 due to alcohol addiction, drug abuse, and mental health problems. After making a comeback to the boxing scene in 2018, Fury won the WBC title in 2020. As such, the winner of the undisputed heavyweight championship goes home with the four belts.
List of Some of Joshua’s Fights and How Much He Earned From Them
| Year | Fights | Earnings |
| 2015 | Dillian Whyte | £3 million |
| 2016 | Charles Martin | £4.5 million |
| 2016 | Eric Molina | £5 million |
| 2017 | Wladimir Klitschko | £15 million |
| 2017 | Carlos Takam | £10 million |
| 2018 | Joseph Parker | £18 million |
| 2018 | Alexander Povetkin | £20 million |
| 2019 | Andy Ruiz Jr. (rematch) | $60 million |
| 2020 | Kubrat Pulev | £10 million |
Endorsement Deals
Throughout his career, Anthony Joshua has signed lucrative sponsorship deals with top-notch brands. Hence, he is ranked among the most commercially active athletes in the United Kingdom. He serves as the ambassador of the sportswear brand Under Armour and Beats by Dre and has endorsements with more than twelve brands. They include StubHub, Lynx, Hugo Boss, Jaguar Land Rover, Audemars Piguet, Sky Sports, DAZN, Electronic Arts, and many others.
In 2020, the highly skilled athlete pocketed $11 million from sponsorship deals alone. He reportedly earns upwards of £5 million from endorsements per year and his sponsorship deal with Jaguar Land Rover is said to be bringing £790,000 per annum.
Pay-Per-View Revenues and Fees for Broadcasting Rights
In 2015, Anthony Joshua signed a new five-year deal with Matchroom Sports which got him entitled to the pay-per-view revenues. The following year, he signed a multi-year broadcasting deal with Showtime and the TV network gained exclusive broadcasting rights to AJ’s fights in the United States.
Over the years, Joshua’s fights have gathered millions of views. In April 2017, the pay-per-view bout of AJ vs Klitschko attracted 1.63 million viewers in the UK on Sky Box Office. Also in the United Kingdom, Joshua’s PPV bout against parker had 1.83 million views on Sky Box Office. In 2017, HBO made a bid of $1.6 million for exclusive broadcasting rights to Joshua’s fights, but Showtime matched the bid. However, Joshua subsequently granted exclusive broadcasting rights to DAZN in 2018 after Matchroom Sports entered into an eight-year partnership valued at $1 billion with the streaming service.
The boxing champion additionally makes money from ticket sales and box office receipts. He has sold-out arenas like Wembley Stadium and the Principality Stadium. In the year 2017, a total of 160,000 tickets were sold for his two stadium fights in April and October.
Business Ventures
Beyond boosting his net worth through his exploits in the boxing scene, Anthony Joshua further earns from his entrepreneurial efforts. He established a management firm, 258 Investments, in the year 2015. The firm manages two athletes; Joshua Buatsi, an Olympic bronze medalist, and Lawrence Okolie, a cruiserweight prospect.
In January 2017, Joshua entered into a partnership with BXR gym, gaining an ownership stake in the company. He also assisted BRX to launch a state-of-the-art gym in a new location. Furthermore, AJ has an apparel line called AJBXNG. He sells his merchandise, including t-shirts and hats through an online store.
Highlights of AJ’s Revenue Streams
- Purse payouts
- PPV revenues
- Broadcasting deals
- Sponsorship deals
- Merchandise sales and joint ventures
Anthony Joshua Had A Late Start To His Boxing Career
AJ was born Anthony Oluwafemi Olaseni Joshua in Watford, Hertfordshire, England. His father, Robert Joshua, is Nigerian Irish while his mother, Yeta Joshua, is of Nigerian ancestry. While growing up, Joshua spent some time in Nigeria. He relocated to the United Kingdom after the divorce of his parents when he was 12 years old. He attended Langley Secondary School and worked as a bricklayer after graduation.
AJ later gained interest in boxing by the time he turned 18, following in the footsteps of his cousin, Ben Ileyemi. As an amateur boxer, he became a member of the Finchley Amateur Boxing Club in North London. After winning the Haringey Box Cup in 2009 and 2010, as well as becoming the 2010 ABA champion, AJ was offered £50 thousand to turn pro which he rejected, stating that he joined the sport to win medals and not for money. He subsequently joined the Great Britain Boxing team in 2010 and went on to win a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympic Games. He also won a silver medal at the 2011 Baku World Championships and another gold medal at the Great Britain Championship held in Liverpool in 2010.
Anthony Joshua further won two gold medals in ABA championships held in 2010 and 2011. He eventually turned pro in July 2013.
AJ’s Wealth Affords Him a Lavish Lifestyle
Although the two-time unified heavyweight champion lives a life of luxury, he doesn’t spend his money to afford such a lifestyle as his business partners take care of his expenses. He has been spotted severally on private jets and helicopters but has never paid for any of it. While US sportswear brand Under Armour provides Anthony Joshua with a private jet worth £45 million, Beats by Dre provides him with free use of a helicopter. This is a huge contrast from his time as an amateur when he had a Vauxhall Astra that cost £1,500. He has since gotten himself a Jaguar Land Rover.
Other cars in his collection include a customized white Jaguar XJR valued at £93,000 and a black Range Rover. In 2018, his £150,000 bespoke car which was given to him by his business partners was stolen, however, it was immediately replaced. More so, many of AJ’s vacations are sponsored by resorts and countries that want to have the boxing superstar visiting their popular tourist spots, hence, gaining wild media attention. He has visited Jamaica, Dubai, and Miami in recent years. Additionally, Anthony Joshua has a wristwatch worth £350,000 which was given to him as a gift from the Audemars Piguet.
Even though the British boxer has the majority of his expenses taken care of by his sponsors, he has shelled out tons and millions of pounds from his pocket to invest in real estate. In 2013, he bought a home for his mother at the ex-council estate in London for £175,000. He also purchased a £500,000 penthouse in North London for his baby mama Nicole Osbourne. In 2020, he reportedly purchased luxury homes valued at £7.5 million.
A Look at His Benevolent Acts
A great philanthropist, Joshua has supported multiple charitable organizations throughout his career. In 2017, he assisted the Forever Hope Foundation to raise a collective fund of £10,000 used to support Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital. In April 2019, he made a donation of a pair of boxing gloves that carries his signature in bold black and equally the Forever Hope logo. They were auctioned for £149.99.
In 2020, the world heavyweight champion gave financial assistance to the amateur Boxing Federations of England, Scotland, and Wales. The big donation which is said to be in six figures was made to keep amateur boxing running in Britain during the COVID-19 lockdown. Under Armour, one of AJ’s sponsors also supported him with donations of sports items.
