In response to a viral rumor making its manner across the net this week, a 31-year-old businessman from Brazil’s southern state of Rio Grande do Sul simply died and left his whole $1 billion fortune to the soccer star Neymar… as a result of he was a fan.
The rumor has exploded throughout Brazilian media and worldwide aggregator websites, making headlines like “Neymar Inherits A Billion {Dollars}” and “Billionaire Leaves Total Fortune To Neymar.” At first look, it reads like city legend materials. In spite of everything, why would a younger, wholesome entrepreneur with a long time of life forward select to depart all the things to a world-famous athlete he is by no means even met? And the place precisely did that billion-dollar determine come from?
Because it seems, the reality is stranger — and murkier — than fiction. The desire could be very actual. It was registered at a Porto Alegre notary in June 2023, and Neymar’s title is certainly listed as sole inheritor. However whereas the authorized doc exists, the billionaire fortune connected to it’s far much less sure. It is also not clear that the 31-year-old died. Or if he is 31. Or something actually. What follows is a breakdown of how this weird inheritance story started, the way it resurfaced two years later, and why the small print are being blown out of proportion.
Origin Of The Story (June 2023)
The weird story truly originated in mid-2023. On June 12, 2023, a businessman from Porto Alegre formally registered a will naming Neymar as his sole inheritor. The Colégio Notarial do Brasil (Notary Affiliation) in Rio Grande do Sul confirmed the doc’s authenticity, and native retailers like GaúchaZH reported on it. The businessman requested anonymity, however was described as a single 31-year-old with no youngsters. On the time, no particular worth was connected to the inheritance — simply the truth that a stranger had legally willed “all his worldly possessions” to Neymar. Right here is a photograph of the particular will that was registered in 2023:
The Businessman’s Motivation
In interviews with Metrópoles, the person defined his resolution as stemming from private admiration and emotional identification with Neymar. He stated he associated to the participant’s shut relationship together with his father, noticed him as unfairly judged by the general public, and regarded Neymar “not self-interested, one thing uncommon these days.” Going through well being issues and missing direct heirs, he claimed Neymar felt like the one reliable choice. He even admitted making an attempt to contact Neymar’s crew to elucidate his intentions however by no means acquired by.
2025 Revival: How The Story Went Viral
For greater than two years, the story remained a curious footnote. That modified in September 2025, when Brazilian TV present “Melhor da Tarde” aired a section concerning the will, sparking a brand new wave of headlines. From CNN Brasil to Veja, mainstream retailers revisited the case, usually with sensational spins. Some even misstated the timing, calling it a 2025 will as an alternative of a 2023 doc. The billionaire label caught, turning what was already a weird anecdote right into a viral sensation.
(Picture by Pedro Vilela/Getty Pictures)
The Rumored $1 Billion Fortune
That is the place truth and hypothesis diverge. The businessman by no means publicly disclosed his web price, and notary guidelines maintain such particulars confidential. However, columnist Léo Dias reported in 2023 that the person advised him his property was round $1 billion USD (≈R$5.4 billion). Different retailers ran with that declare, whereas some confused the inheritance with Neymar’s personal wealth. Someplace within the retelling, the numbers and fact blurred.
Verification And Actuality
What’s verifiably true:
- The desire exists and names Neymar as inheritor.
- It was registered in Porto Alegre in June 2023.
- The person is alive, single, and with out youngsters.
What stays unproven:
- The businessman’s id.
- The precise worth of his property.
- Any affirmation that Neymar has acknowledged or responded to it.
Brazilian fact-checkers have since labeled the “$1 billion inheritance” declare unproven. As Tribuna de Minas famous, there’s “no official document proving Neymar will obtain that quantity.”
Conclusion
So, did Neymar simply inherit $1 billion from a stranger’s will? The brief reply: No, not but. The lengthy reply: an nameless fan in southern Brazil actually did make Neymar his authorized inheritor again in 2023. However the sensational billion-dollar determine dominating headlines is unverified and nearly actually exaggerated. Till the person passes away — or reveals extra about his funds — Neymar’s supposed billion-dollar windfall stays extra web folklore than monetary truth.
