Liam Payne left shocking amount of money for son, court finds out

Liam Payne's nine-year-old son Bear has been confirmed as the sole beneficiary of the late singer's £21 million estate, following a High Court ruling that allows portions of the fortune to be used for the boy's benefit immediately.

Probate documents show that the estate of the One Direction star, who died on 16 October 2024 after falling from the third floor of the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires at the age of 31, can now be accessed to benefit Bear Gray Payne, his son with former Girls Aloud singer Cheryl Tweedy.

The remainder of the estate will be held in trust for Bear until he turns 18.

Liam did not leave a will at the time of his death. 

Cheryl and music industry lawyer Richard Bray were previously named as administrators of his estate in a grant of probate issued in Newcastle, but that arrangement only gave them the power to collect and preserve his assets. 

The new Letters of Administration represent a significant expansion of what can now be done with the estate.

The £21 million fortune includes Liam's five-bedroom home in Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire, which he purchased for £3.25 million in 2021, a move he made to be closer to Bear following his split from Cheryl.