How Anthony Joshua went from humble beginnings to £110m fortune

Sport
LONDON — Anthony Joshua has cleverly doubled his fortune in the past year through smart sponsorship deals and boxing clever. The heavyweight champ’s firm Sparta Promotions Ltd has £109 109 481 in the bank, according to new documents filed for the company. And that’s a massive increase on the numbers crunched the year prior, with […]

LONDON — Anthony Joshua has cleverly doubled his fortune in the past year through smart sponsorship deals and boxing clever.

The heavyweight champ’s firm Sparta Promotions Ltd has £109 109 481 in the bank, according to new documents filed for the company.

And that’s a massive increase on the numbers crunched the year prior, with his worth said to be £49 032 751.

The 31-year-old, originally from a council estate in Watford, has seen the £60 million rise thanks to lucrative contracts with huge brands, as well as picking his fights smartly.

He may have only fought once in the past year, defeating Kubrat Pulev back in December, but in truth Joshua has never been out of our sights.

Whether it’s showing us his North London lifestyle in a Google ad, or posing in the latest Under Armour campaign — AJ is a brand’s dream with his good looks and his prowess in the ring.

The humble sports star is also known to be frugal with his cash — buying his mum Yeta Odusanya an ex-council estate home, as well as a property for his ex-girlfriend Nicola Osbourne, who is the mother of his son Joshua.

No loss in defeat

In the financial year up to February 29, 2020 Joshua suffered the first blip in his career when he was shocked by Andy Ruiz Jr.

But, if you learn from defeat you haven’t really lost. AJ exercised his right for a rematch with the Mexican brawler in a blockbuster fight in Saudi Arabia six months later and got revenge.

Reports at the time suggested he earned the biggest ever pay day in British boxing history — a whopping £46 million purse.

More importantly, Joshua won back his WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight belts. Not only did it mean his reputation was restored quickly, he was still an attractive option to brands.

Poster boy

With a physique to envy and his boy-next-door looks, Joshua’s marketing appeal is obvious.

That’s why, over the years, the likes of Hugo Boss, Jaguar, Land Rover, Audemars Piguet, JD Sports, William Hill, Lucozade and Beats By Dre have put the poster boy of boxing front and centre of their campaigns.

And on the TV, he’s equally as busy. He threw his weight behind local businesses in Golders Green by teaming up with Google for one ad. While for Lynx, he happily sprays their Africa scent on his chiselled torso in another promo and washes himself with their shower gel.

It is estimated that AJ earns around £10 million-per-year through sponsorships. Last year, Anthony also launched content studio and production house, SBX Studios.

They will develop and produce long-from sports and entertainment documentaries, brand campaigns, YouTube channels, live event content creation, as well as podcasts.

Crucially, they will have access to Joshua’s archived behind-the-scenes footage dating all the way back to his first professional fight in 2013. That means Joshua can have greater control of his own media going forward.

Lives frugally

As his right-hand man and marketing manager, Freddie Cunningham revealed despite having “a lot of money,” Joshua “doesn’t live the life that he could.”

“From the outside, it probably looks like he does. He’s seen in private jets, wearing expensive watches, and driving around in nice cars,” he told Business Insider.

“But the jets are all sponsored. We’ve never paid for a private jet, or a helicopter, in our life. He gets a signature car from Land Rover.

“He’s not spending that money. He’s accumulating money. He’s living a lifestyle that probably everyone wants him to live, or see him live, but he’s doing it in a smart way. Tactful.”

And when he has spent money, he’s frugal with it. AJ is believed to have a small two-bed flat in Sheffield that he uses when training.

In 2013, he bought a local authority flat for mother Yeta for £175 000 in North London, and splashed £500 000 on a penthouse for his former lover, Nicola and his four-year-old son, Joseph.

But when it comes to himself, he isn’t so flash. AJ did rent a £20 000 per-week mansion when he was preparing to fight Wladimir Klitschko, but after the bout reportedly moved back to his mum’s flat.

More to come

Come next financial year, AJ could double the £110million wealth he boasts today. If, as is expected, he fights Tyson Fury — in what will be dubbed ‘The Battle of Britain’ — it has been suggested he could be due a £150m windfall.

According to reports, the fight of the century is just weeks away from being finalised with only a “handful of issues” left to be ironed out.

Contracts between AJ’s promoter Eddie Hearn have been exchanged with Fury’s backers Bob Arum and Frank Warren.

And for the first time in heavyweight history, all four of the WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO belts are set to be at stake.

A deal will be cut down the middle 50/50 but a venue is still being discussed — with the Middle East and Asia being suggested as hosts.

Even so, with pay-per-view figures taken into account, expect Sparta Promotions Ltd to file financial results much greater than £109 109 481 this time next year.

  •  The Sun