Who will inherit Liam Payne's £24m fortune?

8 May 2025, 12:16 | Updated: 8 May 2025, 12:18

The beneficiaries of Liam Payne’s £24m fortune are being considered as the singer did not make a will before he died last year, it has been revealed.

The former One Direction star passed away aged 31 in October after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

He left behind girlfriend Kate Cassidy and his son Bear - whose mother is his former partner, the singer Cheryl Tweedy. But court documents show that he did not name any beneficiaries.

Payne's funeral was held in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, in October and Cheryl was in attendance, as were the remaining former members of One Direction: Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik and Niall Horan. The boyband has been on hiatus since 2016.

After an incredibly lucrative career with the group and some solo success, Payne’s estate is reportedly worth £28.6m but after expenses and debts are considered it will be worth around £24.3m.

Here is what we know so far about where the money could be going.

Who will inherit Liam Payne’s fortune?

As Payne died without making a will, the beneficiaries to his fortune are yet to be confirmed.

His son Bear, born out of his 2016-18 relationship with Cheryl, has recently turned eight. He also has two sisters, Nicola and Ruth, and was survived by his parents, Geoff and Karen Payne.

Payne was not married at the time of his death but was dating the influencer Kate Cassidy.

Under UK rules of intestacy, a person’s spouse and their children would have the first claim to the estate.

Read also: Pictured Man, 22, who died from rooftop fall onto busy Soho street after night out

Who is Liam Payne's administrator?

Bear’s mother Cheryl, who performs under just her first name, has been named an administrator - making her legally responsible for the money, property, and possessions.

Music industry lawyer Richard Mark Bray has also been named as an administrator.

It seems likely that Cheryl will choose to put the millions into a trust for Bear.

“Bear will never want for anything, that he will at least benefit from that,” a source told the Mail.

“Liam had some very sensible people around him for a time and he adored Bear so much. He always wanted to do the right thing by him financially.”

Will Kate Cassidy receive any money from Liam Payne?

Ms Cassidy is not duty bound to receive anything from the will as she was not married to Payne - although the influencer has said that they were planning an engagement.

She previously said: "I keep your note close, even though you told me not to look at it. It said, 'Me and Kate will marry within a year/engaged & together forever'."

Ms Cassidy has not commented on the inheritance.

How did Liam Payne die?

• The singer died on October 16 last year after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina,
• His cause of death was determined to be "polytrauma" (multiple injuries from the fall),
• Toxicology probes found alcohol, cocaine, and a prescription antidepressant in his system,
• His blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was "up to 2.7 grams per litre,”
• This BAC level can cause confusion, disorientation, and dizziness. A BAC above 0.3 per cent increases risk of alcohol poisoning; above 0.4 per cent can be potentially fatal and Payne’s was more than three times the UK legal driving limit (0.08 per cent)