He died without a will in October 2024. A court has now decided what happens to his $29 million estate. All of it goes to his nine-year-old son Bear, with most of it locked in a trust until he turns 18.
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Media reports have confirmed that Bear Grey Payne, the nine-year-old son of the late singer Liam Payne, is the sole beneficiary of his father’s estate. Bear, born in March 2017, inherited $29,007,998 from his estate, per the May 1 filing. Most of the money will remain in a trust until he turns 18.
Liam Payne died in October 2024 without making a will. Cheryl and music industry lawyer Richard Mark Bray became the administrators of his estate.
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Under UK intestacy law, a minor cannot directly access a large estate. Bear’s inheritance sits on what is known as a statutory trust, a legal arrangement that gives him an absolute right to the assets once he turns 18, while allowing administrators to manage and draw on the estate for his benefit in the meantime. The newly issued Letters of Administration from the High Court now enable portions of the estate to be used for Bear’s needs before he reaches adulthood.
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Although some of the funds are available for use now, the majority will be held in a trust until he turns 18.
Court documents show the estate includes a five-bedroom home in Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire, which Liam purchased for £3.25 million in 2021, a move he made to be closer to Bear following his split from Cheryl. The property was briefly listed for sale after his death but was later withdrawn from the market.
Beyond the property, the estate is expected to include earnings and royalties from Liam’s years with One Direction, as well as income from his solo career, brand partnerships and music publishing rights.
Court records show the estate’s value has been revised since probate proceedings began. An earlier Ad Colligenda Bona grant issued on May 1, 2025, placed the net value at £24.3 million after debts and liabilities.
Liam was partners with influencer Kate Cassidy at the time of his death, but she does not intend to make any claim against his estate.
Liam Payne died on October 16, 2024, at the age of 31. He suffered a fatal fall from the balcony of the third-floor room of a hotel in the Buenos Aires neighbourhood of Palermo where he was staying. An autopsy determined he died of multiple trauma and internal and external haemorrhage as a result of the fall.
Argentina’s public prosecutor announced that five people were eventually charged in the case. Among the accused were a person who accompanied Payne on a daily basis during his stay, a hotel employee charged with supplying cocaine to Payne during his time at the hotel, and a third drug supplier.
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