Did Neymar Just Inherit $1 Billion From A Stranger's Will?

According to a viral rumor making its way around the web this week, a 31-year-old businessman from Brazil's southern state of Rio Grande do Sul just died and left his entire $1 billion fortune to the soccer star Neymar… because he was a fan.

The rumor has exploded across Brazilian media and international aggregator sites, making headlines like "Neymar Inherits A Billion Dollars" and "Billionaire Leaves Entire Fortune To Neymar." At first glance, it reads like urban legend material. After all, why would a young, healthy entrepreneur with decades of life ahead choose to leave everything to a world-famous athlete he's never even met? And where exactly did that billion-dollar figure come from?

As it turns out, the truth is stranger — and murkier — than fiction. The will is very real. It was registered at a Porto Alegre notary in June 2023, and Neymar's name is indeed listed as sole heir. But while the legal document exists, the billionaire fortune attached to it is far less certain. It's also not clear that the 31-year-old died. Or if he's 31. Or anything really. What follows is a breakdown of how this bizarre inheritance story began, how it resurfaced two years later, and why the details are being blown out of proportion.

Origin Of The Story (June 2023)

The unusual story actually originated in mid-2023. On June 12, 2023, a businessman from Porto Alegre officially registered a will naming Neymar as his sole heir. The Colégio Notarial do Brasil (Notary Association) in Rio Grande do Sul confirmed the document's authenticity, and local outlets like GaúchaZH reported on it. The businessman requested anonymity, but was described as a single 31-year-old with no children. At the time, no specific value was attached to the inheritance — just the fact that a stranger had legally willed "all his worldly possessions" to Neymar. Here is a photo of the actual will that was registered in 2023:

The Businessman's Motivation

In interviews with Metrópoles, the man explained his decision as stemming from personal admiration and emotional identification with Neymar. He said he related to the player's close relationship with his father, saw him as unfairly judged by the public, and considered Neymar "not self-interested, something rare nowadays." Facing health problems and lacking direct heirs, he claimed Neymar felt like the only trustworthy option. He even admitted trying to contact Neymar's team to explain his intentions but never got through.

2025 Revival: How The Story Went Viral

For more than two years, the tale remained a curious footnote. That changed in September 2025, when Brazilian TV show "Melhor da Tarde" aired a segment about the will, sparking a new wave of headlines. From CNN Brasil to Veja, mainstream outlets revisited the case, often with sensational spins. Some even misstated the timing, calling it a 2025 will instead of a 2023 document. The billionaire label stuck, turning what was already a bizarre anecdote into a viral sensation.

(Photo by Pedro Vilela/Getty Images)

The Rumored $1 Billion Fortune

This is where fact and speculation diverge. The businessman never publicly disclosed his net worth, and notary rules keep such details confidential. Nevertheless, columnist Léo Dias reported in 2023 that the man told him his estate was around $1 billion USD (≈R$5.4 billion). Other outlets ran with that claim, while some confused the inheritance with Neymar's own wealth. Somewhere in the retelling, the numbers and truth blurred.

Verification And Reality

What's verifiably true:

• The will exists and names Neymar as heir.
• It was registered in Porto Alegre in June 2023.
• The man is alive, unmarried, and without children.

What remains unproven:

• The businessman's identity.
• The actual value of his estate.
• Any confirmation that Neymar has acknowledged or responded to it.

Brazilian fact-checkers have since labeled the "$1 billion inheritance" claim unproven. As Tribuna de Minas noted, there is "no official record proving Neymar will receive that amount."

Conclusion

So, did Neymar just inherit $1 billion from a stranger's will? The short answer: No, not yet. The long answer: an anonymous fan in southern Brazil truly did make Neymar his legal heir back in 2023. But the sensational billion-dollar figure dominating headlines is unverified and almost certainly exaggerated. Until the man passes away — or reveals more about his finances — Neymar's supposed billion-dollar windfall remains more internet folklore than financial fact.