Anthony Joshua is one of the most recognizable boxers in the world, but how does his current success compare to the lofty ambitions he set for himself many years ago?

Joshua recently returned after back-to-back defeats against Tyson Fury’s defeater Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 and 2022. The former heavyweight champion has now won his last four fights, most recently crushing former UFC star Francis Ngannou in Riyad. Saudi Arabia and it looks like his star is rising again.

Joshua has undoubtedly been climbing the boxing ladder since his eye-catching London 2012 Olympic gold medal catapulted him into the spotlight, but the interview he gave GQ in April 2017 really captures how far Joshua was willing to go. The seven-year-old’s announcement was made as Joshua was preparing to fight Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley Stadium, which he won by knockout.

In an interview with GQ, Joshua revealed that he initially wanted to become a millionaire, but as times changed, this goal changed drastically.

“When I started out, my goal was to become a multi-millionaire. But now there are ordinary people, grandmothers and grandfathers, who are worth millions just because of real estate prices,” he said. “So the modern school of thought is that I have to become a billionaire. Being a millionaire is good, but you have to aim higher.”

Joshua went on to say that he would have to earn an extraordinary amount of money per fight to realize his gigantic ambitions, before adding: “If I make £10m on my next fight, my next target will be to make ten times that. And if I get to £100-150 million, why not go for a billion? I know they are self-made billionaires. It’s challenging, but possible.

Joshua earned a career-best £66 million by regaining the WBA, WBO, IBO and IBF world titles from Andy Ruiz Jr in December 2019. However, reports claim Joshua took home less than half that amount when he pocketed £31m for the Ngannou fight in March this year.

Joshua has undoubtedly overstated his net worth recently, with Forbes estimating his earnings at around $47 million in 2020. However, the latest issue of Forbes shows that Sunday Times rich list, Joshua’s net worth is currently £175 million, which is undoubtedly an impressive sum, although a bit far from his ultimate ambitions.

The 34-year-old is currently number 17 on the UK’s 40 Under 40 list, alongside musician and actor Harry Styles. The richest athlete on this list is Lewis Hamilton, number nine, whose fortune as a Formula 1 icon is worth a staggering £350 million.

The next sports star on the British list is golf ace Rory McIlroy, who comes in at number 13 and is worth an estimated £225 million. Tennis star Andy Murray is 27th on the list with a fortune worth £100 million, while England captain and Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane is the highest-ranked footballer, ranking 35th with a fortune of £75 million.

It is said that Joshua has never hidden his motivation for massive victories Yahoo Sports in February 2023: “Money, money, money.

“I like making money, straight up. I was broke, my family was broke, I know what that… means. I’ve always built businesses outside of boxing out of fear of going back to square one, but when I’m done and no one will care about me anymore, so I’ll make the best of it while I’m here.

It looks like Joshua’s bid to join the exclusive billionaires’ club will continue with the Olympic champion signing reported deal worth $100 million with streaming giant DAZN in 2022. Joshua left Sky Sports for an exclusive partnership with the streaming platform, and even became a shareholder, special advisor and brand ambassador.