Official records have revealed that Liam Payne, the former One Direction star who died in October last year, left behind an estate worth more than £24 million.
Payne, who was just 31 when he tragically passed away in Argentina, did not leave a will, meaning his assets will now be handled according to UK intestacy laws.
The singer’s sudden death sent shockwaves through the music world and among millions of One Direction fans.
Payne died after falling from the balcony of his hotel room on the third floor of the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires on October 16, 2024.
A postmortem examination confirmed the cause of death as “polytrauma” — multiple injuries with both internal and external bleeding. Toxicology reports later revealed traces of alcohol, cocaine, and a prescription antidepressant in his system.
Legal Aftermath
Following his death, several people were charged in connection with the incident.
In February, a court in Argentina dropped manslaughter charges against three of the five accused — Payne’s friend Rogelio “Roger” Nores, hotel operator Gilda Martin, and head of reception Esteban Grassi.
However, hotel employee Ezequiel Pereyra and waiter Braian Paiz still face prosecution for allegedly supplying drugs to the singer. In Argentina, drug supply charges can carry sentences of up to 15 years in prison.
The Fate of His Fortune
Probate documents show that Payne’s estate had a gross value of £28.6 million (about Ksh4.9 billion), which was reduced to £24.3 million (around Ksh4.1 billion) after debts and expenses were settled.
Because Payne died without a will and was unmarried at the time of his death, UK inheritance rules state that any children he leaves behind are next in line to inherit his estate.
Payne shared an eight-year-old son, Bear, with his former partner, Cheryl — the former Girls Aloud singer.
Cheryl, 41, has now been named one of the administrators of Payne’s estate, alongside music industry lawyer Richard Mark Bray. Though both have been granted limited authority to manage his estate for now, they currently cannot distribute any of the assets.
Payne, who first found fame on The X Factor before becoming a global star with One Direction, was fondly remembered at the Brit Awards in March.
A heartfelt video montage played during the ceremony, featuring clips of him with his family, moments from his boyband days, and footage from his early years on the talent show that launched his career.
