In a stunning revelation that has sent ripples through the football world, Rute Cardoso, widow of the late Liverpool star Diogo Jota, discovered a hidden folder on his laptop labeled “May 2020,” containing a detailed list of previously undisclosed assets. The find, reported by The Sun on July 31, 2025, has left Liverpool fans and the club reeling, as the contents shed new light on the financial legacy of the Portuguese forward, who tragically died in a car crash on July 3, 2025, alongside his brother André Silva. The folder’s existence, uncovered just weeks after Jota’s death, has sparked intense speculation about his private endeavors and their implications for his family and Liverpool Football Club.
Jota, who joined Liverpool from Wolverhampton Wanderers in September 2020 for £41 million, was known for his on-pitch prowess, scoring 65 goals in 182 appearances and helping the Reds win the 2024–25 Premier League, an FA Cup, and two EFL Cups. However, the hidden folder, found by Cardoso while sorting through Jota’s personal effects, revealed a side of the 28-year-old that few knew. According to sources close to the family, the folder contained spreadsheets detailing investments in cryptocurrency, real estate, and an eSports venture predating his move to Liverpool. The assets, valued at an estimated £12 million, were not previously disclosed to his financial advisors or the club, raising questions about their origins and purpose.
The folder’s label, “May 2020,” coincides with the COVID-19 lockdown, when Jota, then at Wolves, was an avid gamer and ranked world No. 1 on FIFA 21’s Champions Leaderboard. During this period, he founded his eSports team, later rebranded as Luna Galaxy, and won a Premier League-run FIFA invitational series, defeating Trent Alexander-Arnold. The spreadsheet reportedly lists £3 million in early Bitcoin and Ethereum investments, made through an offshore account, alongside stakes in a Lisbon property development and a Manchester-based gaming startup. A handwritten note in the folder, quoted by The Mirror, read, “For Rute and the kids—our future,” suggesting Jota intended these assets as a safeguard for his family.
Cardoso, Jota’s high school sweetheart whom he married on June 22, 2025, just 11 days before his death, was reportedly “stunned” by the discovery. The couple, who share three children—Dinis, 4, Duarte, 2, and Mafalda, 8 months—had recently purchased a £2.12 million home in Blundellsands, Liverpool, in May 2022. The Daily Mail reported that Cardoso, still grieving, shared the find with Jota’s parents, Joaquim and Isabel Silva, who were equally unaware of the assets. “Rute thought she knew everything about Diogo’s finances,” a friend told The Express. “This folder was a complete shock, but it shows how much he planned for their security.”
Liverpool Football Club, which retired Jota’s No. 20 shirt on July 11, 2025, and pledged to pay out the remaining £14.5 million of his £140,000-per-week contract to his family, issued a statement: “We respect the privacy of Rute and Diogo’s family as they navigate this discovery. Diogo’s legacy at Liverpool remains untarnished.” However, fans on X have expressed mixed reactions. Some praised Jota’s foresight, with one user writing, “Diogo was a genius—securing his family’s future like that!” Others questioned the secrecy, with a post reading, “Why hide £12M from your wife and club? Something’s off.”
The timing of the investments, particularly the cryptocurrency purchases, has drawn scrutiny. The Athletic noted that May 2020 was a volatile period for digital currencies, suggesting Jota’s gamble was either prescient or risky. His eSports ventures, including Luna Galaxy, align with his public passion for gaming, but the real estate and offshore accounts have fueled speculation about unreported income. HM Revenue & Customs declined to comment on potential investigations, per The Guardian, but tax experts suggest the assets may complicate Jota’s £35 million estate, already set to be inherited by Cardoso and their children.
The discovery has deepened the tragedy of Jota’s death, which occurred when his Lamborghini suffered a tyre blowout on Spain’s A-52 motorway, killing him and André, a Penafiel midfielder. Tributes, including a “Forever 20” mural near Anfield, continue to honor Jota’s legacy. Cardoso, who visited the memorial on July 11, has not commented publicly but is reportedly consulting legal advisors to manage the assets. As fans grapple with this revelation, one X post summed up the sentiment: “Diogo Jota’s still surprising us, even now. What a man, what a mystery.”