Liam Payne left a staggering £24million legacy after tragically dying without a will.
The 31-year-old star left a total of £28,595,000 after he fell to his death from a hotel balcony after a drink-drug binge on October 16 last year, but this was reduced to £24,280,000 after his expenses and debts were paid.
And court documents show that the tragic One Direction star granted the power of administration of his estate to his ex Cheryl Tweedy, the mother of his eight-year-old son Bear.
It is likely that the fortune will be placed in trust for Liam’s son under UK rules of intestacy, where the person’s estate is usually passed to the lawful spouse or their nearest blood relative.
This means that his girlfriend Kate Cassidy could receive nothing – despite her revealing their plans to marry shortly after his death.
Cheryl, 41, was named alongside Richard Bray, a top music lawyer with a track record of representing stars including Ed Sheeran.
The news comes just six months after fans of the Best Song Ever singer were left stunned by his sudden death from a third floor balcony fall at the Casa Sur Hotel in Argentina.
Liam Payne left a total of £28,595,000 after he fell to his death from a hotel balcony after a drink-drug binge on October 16 last year, but this was reduced to £24,280,000 after his expenses and debts were paid
It is likely that the fortune will be placed in trust for Liam’s son under UK rules of intestacy
Court documents show that the tragic One Direction star granted the power of administration of his estate to his ex Cheryl Tweedy, the mother of his eight-year-old son Bear. Pictured: Together in 2016
His medical cause of death has been confirmed to be ‘polytrauma’, a term which means a person has multiple traumatic injuries to their body.
Five people have been charged over the singer’s death in Argentina after he fell from a third-floor balcony.
The hotel’s manager, a receptionist and a friend of Payne have been charged with manslaughter, Argentina’s National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor’s Office previously said in a statement.
Payne was one of five members of hit boyband One Direction alongside Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan.
The band were formed on Simon Cowell’s The X Factor before becoming an international sensation.
They split in 2016 after Zayn decided to leave the band. He launched a successful solo career, releasing his debut solo album LP1 in December 2019, which included the songs Polaroid and Strip That Down featuring Quavo, and the track For You with Rita Ora.
After leaving the boyband, Liam was careful to invest in property despite struggling with drug and alcohol addictions.
Friends have previously told that he made arrangements for his money to go to his only child in the event of his death, despite the fact that there would often be thousands of miles between them, as the singer spent a lot of time in America. Most of their interaction occurred via video calls on FaceTime.
Liam’s girlfriend Kate Cassidy could receive nothing – despite her revealing their plans to marry shortly after his death. Pictured: Together in 2022
The news comes just six months after fans of the Best Song Ever singer were left stunned by his sudden death from a third-floor balcony of the Casa Sur Hotel in Argentina (pictured)
Payne’s funeral in November in Buckinghamshire was attended by Cheryl (pictured) and fellow One Direction stars Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson, along with his family and friends
‘Liam had some very sensible people around him for a time and he adored Bear so much,’ a source close to the late star told The Mail’s Katie Hind. ‘He always wanted to do the right thing by him financially.
‘It is a small consolation that Bear will never want for anything, that he will at least benefit from that.’
The absence of a will could mean that Liam’s girlfriend at the time of his death Kate Cassidy could be left with nothing.
In the wake of his death she tragically revealed that he had handed her a note before he died detailing plans for them to marry.
She said her heart was ‘shattered’ by his shock death, calling the singer her ‘best friend, the love of my life’.
Kate explained the pair had written messages to each other as they dreamt of their future together – writing notes that they were manifesting, which is the idea that through the power of belief we can effectively ‘think’ a goal into becoming reality.
His, which he asked her not to open, pledged his hope that they would marry within the year and be ‘together forever’. It was not clear whether she opened this note before or after his death.
And in a loving detail, he added the numbers 444 – which Kate used to sign off her tributes to him. She says it represents the favourite number sequence of the angels, which reminds you that there is always someone there to support you when you are feeling down.
The absence of a will could mean that Liam’s girlfriend at the time of his death Kate Cassidy could be left with nothing
In the wake of his death she tragically revealed that he had handed her a note before he died detailing plans for them to marry
Payne successfully became sober at a rehab clinic in 2023, but by the night of his death he had relapsed and consumed alcohol and drugs, reports suggest.
He was seen hanging around the hotel lobby, smashing up his laptop and introducing himself to fans in the hours before his death.
He was eventually taken up to his room by three people but is thought to have accidentally fallen after becoming unconscious.
After his death was announced, Payne’s father flew out to Buenos Aires to identify his son ahead of his repatriation back to the UK.
Payne’s funeral in November in Buckinghamshire was attended by Cheryl and fellow One Direction stars Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson, along with his family and friends.
This is a breaking story and will be updated.
