splashed out £30million on a huge commercial venture as he invests in his property empire, according to a new report.

The British heavyweight, 34, appears to be securing his future beyond his boxing career after seeing ‘so many athletes squander their fortunes.’

As reported by The Sun, he has purchased a 301,000 sq ft property in Hertfordshire, which was previously used as BP’s headquarters.

A pal of Anthony’s told the publication: ‘AJ has seen so many athletes build vast wealth and then squander it all.

‘He is smarter than that. He has been working to build a huge empire that spans multiple large investments in different industries and will continue to grow way after he hangs up his gloves.’

Smart move: Anthony Joshua, 34, has splashed out £30million on a huge commercial venture as he invests in his property empire

They added: ‘He and his partners have really big plans for the complex he has bought.’

Under the surface of his boxing career Anthony has been steadily building an empire since his pro debut ten years ago.

The British heavyweight started off in boxing with his mantra ‘stay hungry, stay humble’, but he has made no secrets of his lofy ambitions. 

One of those is to become the greatest fighter of all time and inspire youngsters. He is a huge role model for thousands of children across the UK who want to get into boxing. But we also know money is a big motivator for him too.

‘When I first started, the aim was to become a multimillionaire,’ he told GQ in 2017. ‘But now there are ordinary people, grandmas and granddads, who are worth millions just because of property prices. So the new school of thought is that I need to be a billionaire.

‘Being a millionaire is good, but you have to set your sights higher. If I’m making £10million from my next fight, my next target has to be making ten times that. And if I get to £100m-150m, why not go for the billion? I know self-made billionaires. It’s hard, but it’s possible.’

Floyd Mayweather has claimed to be worth more than £1billion and his nickname is literally ‘Money’. He is 13 years Joshua’s senior and has had time to build an empire of fighting promoting, exhibition fights, merchandise and endorsements.

Joshua has a way to go to reach that level. Today, he is believed to have around £109m in the bank, according to the Mirror, after more than decade of multi-million fights and sponsorship deals. But the position he finds himself in is impressive given where he started.

Future: The British heavyweight appears to be securing his future beyond his boxing career after seeing ‘so many athletes squander their fortunes’

Plans: According to The Sun , he has purchased a 301,000 sq ft property in Hertfordshire, which was previously used as BP’s headquarters

His story is a rags-to-riches tale of a man who grew up on a council estate with an early life of causing trouble and drug-dealing, run ins with the police and court dates. An electronic tag on his ankle for a period as he fought his way up the ranks.

After finding success in the 2012 Olympics and being catapulted into fame and fortune, he has not shied away from flaunting his wealth. We know Joshua is something of a petrolhead – that’s reflected in an impressive car collection he has amassed over the years.

His garage is worth around £1m and includes a £150,000 Range Rover SVO – which was custom made with his name inscribed in the tread plates – and a £93,000 white Jaguar XJR. This is one of his favourite cars that he treasures so dearly – because it makes him stand out.

‘When I pull up in a Jag, it’s like a watch,’ he told the Guardian. ‘Certain watches, everyone has, but there are certain watches only a few people know about. The Jag is a car that only certain people know about.’

And that’s before we even mention his £600,000 Rolls Royce Phantom stretch, his £146,000 Mercedes v8 BiTurbo or his relatively ‘modest’ Audi A3 S-Line.

He hasn’t forgotten his loved ones around him though. He immersed his mother Yeta in his love of cars by purchasing a Range Rover for her – and also bought a house in north London for her back in 2013.

That was his first venture into the property world – he’s now made quite a mark. Between 2019 and 2020 he spent around £7.5m on properties, according to the Mirror, with his total expenditure on new homes coming to around £10m.

Joshua has already made moves towards becoming a promoter and has signed a handful of young stars to his management company 258 Management. But he’s also waded into the housing market by setting up 258 Investments – which run his property empire for him.

He has over a dozen properties in his portfolio – including one worth £1m in north London and three in Watford worth a combined of £1.5m.

Joshua is a smart man. He has his own website where fans can get kitted out in his AJBXING gear – selling boxing gloves, sportswear, hats and fitness accessories.

Investments: A pal of Anthony’s told the publication: ‘AJ has seen so many athletes build vast wealth and then squander it all. He is smarter than that’

He has deals with Jaguar Land Rover, William Hill, Hugo Boss and sports giant Under Armour – who have taken him around the world on their private jet. Those deals earned him £8,453,578 in the year to February 2021.

However, that star commercial power has looked to be fading slightly – after it was revealed Joshua’s 258 group lost around £3m in sponsorships after he was beaten by Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 – the fight that saw him relinquish his world titles.

In the subsequent financial year, up to February 2022, his endorsements almost fell off a cliff, with the company bringing in just £5,527,952, which amount to a loss of 35 per cent.

Joshua remains a huge draw and high profile figure despite his lack of world title belts. But it’s no surprise that he’s so keen to get back into contention for the biggest fights and the lucrative rewards they promise.