The $29 million estate of Liam Payne, the late One Direction singer who died after a fall at a Buenos Aires hotel in 2024, will be inherited solely by his son, Bear, as revealed by court documents this week.
Intestate Estate Distribution
Payne, who rose to fame and amassed significant wealth as part of the successful boy band One Direction, passed away in October 2024 without leaving a will. Consequently, his estate, valued at $28.9 million after settling debts, is subject to British intestate laws.
Estate Administration
In May, Cheryl, Payne’s former partner, was appointed as an administrator of his estate alongside lawyer Richard Mark Bray. The couple shared an 8-year-old son, Bear, at the time of Payne’s death. According to British probate documents, the gross value of Payne’s U.K. estate was $38 million, with a net worth of roughly $32.2 million.
Inheritance Rules and Future Disbursements
Under U.K. law, when a person dies intestate, their estate typically passes to their legal spouse or nearest blood relative — in this case, Bear Grey Payne. The BBC indicates that the administrators have limited powers currently and cannot distribute the funds. However, Bear is expected to receive a portion soon, with the remainder allocated on his 18th birthday.
Tragic Details of Payne's Death
Cheryl, 42, released a statement following Payne's death on October 16, 2024, when he fell from a balcony at the Casa Sur Hotel in Palermo, Argentina, while intoxicated. He had traveled there with his girlfriend for visa renewal and to attend former bandmate Niall Horan’s concert at the Movistar Arena.
Payne's fatal incident occurred shortly after 5 p.m. on a Wednesday, and his body was taken to the city's judicial morgue. An autopsy revealed the cause of death as polytrauma with internal and external hemorrhage.
Two and a half months posthumously, five individuals faced charges related to the incident, including a man who claimed to be a close acquaintance of Payne and multiple hotel staff members.
Source: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/liam-payne-estate-son-one-direction-1236629014/
