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 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 of 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
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 of the hotel.
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.
Payne struggled with drink and drugs after the split, but successfully became sober at a rehab clinic in 2023.
However 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 hotel 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.
