Anthony Joshua, affectionately called AJ, is a British professional boxer and currently a two-time unified world heavyweight champion. He was born in October 1989 in Watford, Hertfordshire, England to Yeta Joshua and Robert Joshua.
His mother is a Nigerian while his father is of Nigerian and Irish descent. He traces his background to the Yoruba ethnic group in Nigeria. Joshua had his basic education in Nigeria but returned to the UK after his parents separated when he was only 12 years old.
Joshua had mad love for sports while schooling in the UK. He participated in football and athletic competitions and even broke a nine-year-old 100m record with a time of 11.6 seconds.
He was inspired to start a career in boxing by his cousin. Joshua started showing his might at the amateur level when he was 18. He won all 18 bouts at the amateur level in his early 20s. He subsequently won gold at the London Olympics in 2012, according to the BBC.
The next year, Joshua became a professional boxer, which allowed him to earn money from his matches. He made his professional debut in October 2013 at the O2 Arena where he defeated Italian Emanuele Leo by a technical knockout in the first round.
Since then, he has competed in 24 boxing matches, winning 23 and losing just one. The British boxer has a net worth of $80 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Joshua makes his money from purses, endorsement deals, and his side businesses.
He reportedly earned $42 million between 2017 and 2018, the majority of which came from his bout with Alexander Povetkin. Also, between 2018 and 2018, he earned a staggering $54 million. Much of that came from his fight against Andy Ruiz, Jr., according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Joshua also makes money from endorsement deals with Beats Electronics, Jaguar, Hugo Boss, British Airways, Under Armour, and Audemars Piguet. According to Sportytell, his endorsements amount to $10 million. Joshua has a side project that brings in some money. The Insider says he has shares in BXR Gym and a merchandise line.
The boxer is aiming to become a billionaire, according to Freddie Cunningham, his right-hand man in the business. “Joshua has got aspirations,” Cunningham said. “And he wants to do it. He wants to be a billionaire and why not. Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather showed what can be achieved. You have to have the right ingredients.”
Joshua has a massive following on social media. He has over 17 million followers across Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. The boxer earns lucrative sums from posts he makes to his followers. He is single and has one child.
