The musician died in October 2024 after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina.

Liam Payne’s 9-year-old son is the sole beneficiary of the late One Direction singer’s $29 million estate

The musician died in October 2024 after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina.

By Emlyn Travis

Emlyn Travis

Emlyn Travis is a news writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2022. Her work has previously appeared on MTV News, Teen Vogue, and NME.

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June 23, 2026 10:40 a.m. ET

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Liam Payne in 2023. Credit:

Jeff Spicer/Getty

- Liam Payne's son Bear has been named the sole beneficiary of his estate.

- The 9-year-old will inherit $29 million, a portion of which will be held in a trust until he turns 18.

- The One Direction singer died at 31 after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina in 2024.

Liam Payne’s son has been named the sole beneficiary of the late One Direction alum’s estate following his death at 31.

According to court documents, which were obtained by PEOPLE, 9-year-old Bear is the sole inheritor of $29,007,998 from the “Story of My Life” singer’s estate. A portion of the funds can be accessed now, but a larger share is set to be held in a trust until Bear turns 18, per the filing.

Payne, who died Oct. 16, 2024, after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina, welcomed his son with ex Cheryl Tweedy in 2017. It was revealed in May 2025 that the former Girls Aloud singer and music industry lawyer Richard Mark Bray had been named the administrators of Payne’s estate after he died without a will in place.

One Direction in 2016.

Mark Davis/DCNYRE2016/Getty

At the time, the BBC reported that Bray and Cheryl’s duties involved managing Payne’s fortune but noted that “they currently have limited authority and cannot distribute it.” The outlet also stated that if a U.K. citizen dies with no will or living partner, their children will typically inherit their estate.

Payne celebrated Bear’s birth in a 2017 Instagram post. "I'm incredibly happy to welcome our new baby boy into the world, it's a moment that I will never forget for the rest of my life and my favourite memory I have so far," he wrote. "I'm completely in awe of his incredible mother and how she has been the whole way through this, she's really made my dreams come true."

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In the wake of Payne’s death, he made a posthumous appearance as a judge on the Netflix singing competition *Building the Band*. The series paid tribute to Payne during its opening episode with a poignant statement issued by host AJ McLean.

“When we came together to film *Building the Band*, we never imagined we’d soon be saying goodbye to our friend, Liam Payne,” McLean said. “Liam is a guest judge in later episodes and through his presence, we see his deep love for music and his un­wavering commitment to helping others find their voice.”

The Backstreet Boys member continued, “It is through that spirit that we dedicate this series to Liam and his family.”

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Payne’s fellow One Direction members have also reflected on their bandmate’s passing, with Harry Styles sharing that he “really struggled” with the idea of having to publicly mourn him.

“I have such strong feelings around my friend passing away,” he said. “And then suddenly being, you know, there’s a desire from other people of you to convey that in some way, or it means you’re not feeling what you’re feeling or something, you know?”

He added, “It’s so difficult to lose a friend. It’s difficult to lose any friend, but it’s so difficult to lose a friend who is so like you in so many ways. It’s like, I saw someone with the kindest heart who just wanted to be great."

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